Just another grand misadventure
by Horses of Shadow and Night
Summary: Sequel to 'The grand misadventures of Thomas Andrews'. The year is 2016, and the little ruffian has wished on a star and brought poor Thomas back into the future. Only this time he is forced to stay in the future, and he has to board Titanic's replica ship. Can he manage in the modern day era, on a ship that isn't exactly identical to his? Or will he go completely mad? Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

I know I said that I would turn my back on my little delinquent, but I found out that bomb proofing my ship after a while becomes very tedious and dull. So, I've been dropping around and peeking into her life every so often. Oh the wonderful moments in her life that I saw and she didn't even know! For instance, I saw her as the lead in her school musical, and I saw her go to prom wearing her evening gown from the Titanic, then I saw her graduate high school, and I watched her go overseas for the very first time in her own time period.

Right now, it's 2016, exactly 4 years since she arrived back from her adventure in the past, 100 years since she sank with the Britannic, and 104 years since I parted with her on the Titanic. I think she's a little peeved to be 21 years old again, she seemed frustrated that those 4 years she lived in the past, she had to practically relive again in the future. She just wanted to be an adult and have freedom, but she can't complain anymore, she's an adult again now! She's of the legal drinking age! All is well!

So far she seems to be doing alright. She's in school for journalism, but she has been frequently going to West End auditions in a desperate attempt to get into one of the shows there. I remember her telling me it was her dream to be a theatre actress, but her mother wouldn't allow her to major in musical theatre. She got herself a job as a waitress at a rather large restaurant, and after a while the ruffian finally managed to buy herself a little apartment, which is guarded by her scottish terrier, Killian. Right now he's hopping at her feet with the leash in his mouth as she watched the news on television.

"Alright Killian alright! We'll go walking!" she tells the dog as she stands, walking into her kitchen to retrieve her cell phone that's charging in there. As she stuffs it into her pocket she pulls out her, no, MY pocket watch and checks the time "Don't you think it's a little late though Killian? It's nearly 10 at night!". The little dog doesn't seem to care what time it is and she shrugs "Alright, alright" she says as she pulls the leash out of his mouth and clips it to his collar.

Before she can open the door to leave her phone rings and she groans before answering it "Hello?" she asks. Someone on the other line is asking her something "Yea, I'm Gabby" she replies, looking slightly confused. As the person on the other line talks to her, her eyes grow wider and wider and a smile grows on her face "Really? Oh thank you sir thank you!" she says joyfully. There's more talking and she nods, even though the person on the other side can't see her "Yes! Yes I can be there! I will be there! Yes! Alright! Thank you sir! Goodbye!".

I think it takes all her will power not to scream in delight as she jumps in place like a little girl. She picks up her dog and tosses him in the air, catching him and whirling around "Killian! Killian we're going to Southampton! I've got the job!" she tells the little dog. Suddenly she seems to remember that the little dog wanted to go outside, and she places him down before opening her front door and ushering him outside.

Quietly, as not to disturb her neighbors, she slips out of her apartment and begins walking down the street, towards the park. There's a spring to her step and I can't help but wonder what that person on the other line could have said to her. What job in Southampton could possibly have her so excited? The West End is in London, so it couldn't have been about a musical or anything.

When she gets to the park Killian begins sniffing around and does his business fairly quickly. Although it's obviously chilly out, she seems to want to stay outside so she lies herself down on a park bench and stares up at the sky, Killian hopping up onto her stomach and lying down. The stars are perfectly visable, a rarity in London. Suddenly a star shoots across the sky and she points to it "Look boy! A shooting star! Oh I guess that means I gotta make a wish huh?" she asks. The dog doesn't move and she continues gazing up at the sky, deep in thought about it.

"You know Killian, last time I saw a shooting star I was outside with my pony. The wish I made on that star just came true with that phone call! So now, what should I wish for? Well, I think I know what I want" she tells the little dog. She closes her eyes for a moment, smiling wistfully "I wish Mr. Andrews and Jack were alive with me" I hear her whisper.

Suddenly I feel as though I'm falling, and the ground is getting closer and closer. Oh no not again! Please don't say it's so! I hit the ground and moan, I'm too old for this! Before I can even think about it another body falls on top of me and knocks the wind out of me. "Sorry!" a young voice says, I know that voice! It can't be that voice though, it can't be him! I shove the lad off of me and to my shock I'm met with a shockingly familiar pair of blue eyes "Phillips" I manage to choke out as I try to catch my breath. He looks just as shocked as I am "Mr. Andrews?" he asks. He can't be real, I saw him die, I saw him die right in the arms of, wait a moment, the delinquent!

I look up to see her sitting up on the bench, the little dog perched in her lap with his ears pricked and alert to our every move. Her face is pale and she almost seems, afraid, like she's seeing ghosts. But I hit the ground, and Jack hit me. That means, we're alive! Finally she swallows "Mr. Andrews?" she asks, sliding off the bench and kneeling next to me. She reaches out and places a hand on my shoulder, to make sure I'm really there. Oh my little ruffian I'm here alright, you don't have to check! I can assure you I am here in the flesh, though I am not very happy about it!

She practically tackles me as she wraps her around me tightly. She's trembling, oh don't tell me she's crying! "Oh Mr. Andrews! Oh my God!" she blubbers, I can't tell if she's happy or not, but I wrap my arms around her in return and hush her "Hey, don't cry. I'm here! See? You wished me here and now I am! Don't be upset!" I tell her. She continues to sob "I never thought I'd see you again! I've felt guilty all this time about leaving you on the Titanic! I'm sorry!" she says "I'm so sorry!". She still feels guilty about that? I run my hand though her hair "Don't feel guilty, it's alright now. I'm here" I assure her, that's all I can think to tell her that would assure her right now. I genuinely am happy to have her in my arms again though, I never thought I would.

"Gabby?" Jack asks from behind me, she looks up at him tearfully and immediately rushes into his arms "Jack!" she says joyfully before kissing him. He hugs her tightly "It's alright sweetheart" he tells her. She nods "Oh yes it is!" she tells him. Her little dog hops off the bench and begins licking my hand, so I stroke his regal head and watch the ruffian reunited with her fiance. He takes her left hand and he smiles brightly "You're still wearing it?" he asks her, fingering the garnet and diamond ring. She nods and tears continue to trickle down her cheeks "I haven't gone a day not wearing it!" she tells him. He cups her face in his hand and wipes her tears away with his thumb "I don't know how I got here, but I don't care! I'm here now, and we can get married!" he tells her.

Once again she kisses him and laughs slightly "Oh Jack I'm gonna show you all the future things! I'm gonna have you listen to all those songs we sang, and I'm gonna take you to McDonalds and to Walmart and we're gonna go see a musical and I'm gonna show you modern fashion and..." he chuckles "It's late, how about you show me tomorrow?" he asks her. She nods "Yes! I will!" she tells him.

He and I stand and he helps her off the ground. She is so distracted by Jack I have to take her dog's leash and follow them as she leads him out of the park and towards the apartment. I don't want to burst her happy bubble, but we cannot stay in this time period. Can we? I mean, Jack is welcome to stay if he wishes I suppose, but I certainly don't want to stay in the future do I? I saw enough last time I was here to make me absolutely positive I don't want to live here!

Maybe it's not so bad though, maybe I didn't give it a chance. I mean, Gabby stayed in the past and didn't change any major history. And since this is the present, there's nothing exactly to change here because the future hasn't happened yet. But doesn't that mean that this present time is the past for the future? What if we end up changing something that is suppose to happen in the future? I suppose I'm just confusing myself. All that matters, is I don't think I want to stay in this time period, at all. I won't tell the ruffian tonight though, she was so happy to see me she cried!

We arrive back at her apartment and she takes Killian's leash from me, unclipping it from his collar and letting him run free in the house. Jack immediately begins wandering around, staring wide eyed at the television like a child. As he explores Gabby puts on some coffee, heaven knows we're going to need it. Suddenly I notice the phone and I remember that call she got earlier, the one that made her so excited. Now I can ask her what it was a call about!

"Gabby, you got a phone call earlier didn't you?" I ask her, she gives me a funny look "Yea, why? Were you watching me or something?" she asks. When I nod she laughs "Oh you little stalker! I hope I didn't rub too much bad behavior off on you! You're such a good guy! Ah well. Yes, I did get a phone call earlier Mr. Stalker" she replies to me. Gee, she hasn't changed a bit! Isn't that just the sweetest thing? "What was it a phone call about that got you so excited? All I caught was that you got a job in Southampton. What job was it?" I ask her.

A wide grin spreads across her whole face and she laughs "Oh Mr. Andrews, you're going to just LOVE what job I got in Southampton!" she tells me. Oh the suspense is killing me! Please just tell me! She smiles as she pours me a cup of coffee and hands it to me "I'm going to be a Stewardess on a the replica of Titanic" she tells me. It's a good thing she was still holding the cup when she said that, because if she wasn't then she'd have quite a mess on the floor to be picking up.

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**Oh I couldn't resist. I mean come on, the ending to Thomas Andrews' misadventures was so, depressing! Not only did he die, but Gabby didn't get the boy at the end! That ending sucks! It was a great ending, but it sucks! So, WE ARE CONTINUING OUR QUEST!**

**And no, I'm not kidding about the Titanic replica either. Apparently an Australlian billionaire is building an exact replica of the Titanic (And naming it Titanic 2, how original ;P) and it's going to set sail in late 2016. What could be a better idea than a sequel where I force Thomas Andrews to go on yet ANOTHER time bending adventure. Only this time, he's in MY time, and he's probably gonna be the one correcting every little detail on this ship once we get there. **

**COME ON FOLKS! THIS IS COMEDY GOLD RIGHT HERE! It's gonna be good! And yes, Killian the dog is coming on the ship too. And since this is Gabby's dog, we know that no good can come of him ;)**

**PLEASE REVIEW! Trust me, Titanic 2 is not gonna sink, therefore this story is going to be 95% comedy, with the other 5% being actual plot stuff, you know, the glue that holds this whole thing together and makes it make sense. Alright, yea!**

**So instead of food, the review menu is going to be a gift shop. Today in the review shop we have a super amazing ultra awesome supertastic fluffy teddy bear of cuteness and wonder! And he's wearing a wittle officers hat! GET EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT FOLKS! ON SALE NOW! FOR THE LOW THE PRICE OF 1 REVIEW!**

**Thanks for Reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

The ruffian didn't drink any coffee, but me and Jack sure did! I drank it in an attempt to calm my nerves over being in the future again, Jack drank it to help him stay completely alert as his fiance explained to him all of the modern technology. She showed him her old ipod touch, and her laptop, and all the things she showed me in the past! Around 11 though, the poor girl was completely exhausted and she told us she wanted to go to bed.

"I'm not tired though! I just got here!" Jack says, she smiles at him gently "Well don't worry, I've got something for you guys to watch that should allow me to get some sleep. Alright?" she asks. We both nod and she walks over to a small table that has a little machine of some sort on it. When she hits a button on it, it hums to life and projects a square of light onto a white wall that has nothing on it. Quietly she picks up a small case and opens it, removing a small disk and inserting it into the machine.

A menu comes up on the wall, much like the menu from that Titanic movie she showed me the first time I came to the future. Only this time, instead of Titanic, there are some cartoon lions, and she doesn't select the theatrical trailer, she selects 'play movie'. With that she gives Jack a quick peck before shuffling into her bedroom and shutting the door, leaving us alone in her sitting room with the strange movie being projected on her wall.

Already, hardly a few minutes in I can tell this is not going to be like anything I've ever seen. For one, I have no idea what on earth the person singing is saying, but that's not what gets me, there are drawings on the screen! But the drawings are moving! Cute little African animals, all pictures! They aren't real! But how do they do that? How can you possibly make pictures move? There are even lights and shadows, it looks almost real, but it's not!

In a way, this is almost, beautiful! By the end of the song I have goosebumps! After that song though, the movie only gets more and more interesting! I find myself not only amazed by what they can do with these moving drawings, but I am getting invested in the characters, the cute little lion cub and his father and his uncle. It all makes me miss Elba actually, especially when I see what a bond there is between the father lion and the cub. I bet Elba would have loved this movie!

After all the fluffy cuteness so far, I'm totally unprepared for what happens next. The darker lion has brought the cub into a gorge and left him there, and now he's being chased by cows! I think they're cows anyway, they're sorta a mix between cows and horses. Anyway, the cub jumps up onto a tree and my heart wrenches as the father goes to save him. Please save him! He did save him! And now he's climbing up a cliff, he's safe then! Suddenly the uncle lion throws the father lion off a cliff! Jack's eyes are wide and his jaw is dropped open in shock, and I feel exactly the same way! Did he just, no, he couldn't have, they wouldn't!

They, they did! They, they killed him! The cub begins nudging his father, telling him to get up, I can't help the tears that fall down my cheeks. Jack is hugging a couch pillow to his chest and trying to hide the fact he is crying also. My tears are over more than just the death of a cartoon though, I'm upset because I miss Elba! Is this what she did when I didn't come home after Titanic? Did she cry too? Now I'm sobbing, and Jack is looking at me weird. I can't be embarrassed though, I just have to let it all out! Then I'll feel better!

Eventually I manage to stop crying and I enjoy the rest of the movie. There's a lot more fluffy cuteness and comedy after the death of the cub's father. But every time the father lion's spirit comes around tears began to trickle down my cheeks again, a cartoon! I'm crying because of moving pictures! How could a cartoon have defeated me, when I didn't even cry on my ship, not even once! Death was staring me in the face and I didn't shed one tear!

It's 1 in the morning now, I'm too emotionally scarred to go to sleep, and Jack is too amazed by what he just saw to go to sleep. Actually, from the coffee and that film I'd say he's a little too hyped for his own good. "Let's watch another movie!" he says excitedly, standing and going through the pile of movies the ruffian pulled this lion movie from. He picks up one with a horse and a boy on the front cover "War Horse" he reads, it looks interesting I suppose. He goes over to the machine and begins looking at the buttons "Which one of these do you think gets that other disk out?" he asks.

I stand up and the two of us continue to ponder over it, eventually just pushing all the buttons until the disk pops out. When it does I take it out and put it back in it's own case while Jack puts in the War Horse movie. Alright, now that we've done that, what should we press? How do we get it to play? A menu comes up and asks us what language we'd like to watch the film in, I hit a triangle on the machine and it selects English. Then another menu comes up and I hit the triangle again, to play the movie. Gosh I feel like a genius!

The movie is a lot longer than the last one was, and this one is all real people and real animals. Only it's not in black in white like it would have been in my time period, it's in color! Once again, I'm amazed by everything they can do! They had a horse run through hell! Of course, after viewing the movie, I can see where the delinquent got the idea to join the British cavalry! I wonder if she had a reunion with her little pony like the boy and the horse had in this movie. It's a shame she never got to see Sparks again, maybe I'll ask her about them when she wakes up.

Now that we've finished War Horse, it's 4 in the morning. I suppose that means we have time for another movie, since it's clear we're going to pull an all nighter. I want to watch another one with real people, I don't think my heart can take another movie with moving drawings! As I go through the pile, I'm suddenly met with a very familiar cover. Jack peeks over my shoulder at it "Hey! Gabby told me about that movie! We should watch it!" he tells me. Should we now? Well, I don't know, what if, no! I'm not going to think of the what ifs! I'm going to watch this movie about my ship!

We put the disk into the projector and the movie starts. Already I'm slightly insulted by the way the people are talking about her, as if it's some kind of joke. They're apparently looking for a fake diamond, and I would know if it was fake! I knew all the valuable cargo on the ship, and there was no magical blue diamond! Now they're bringing in an old lady, I sorta remember her from trailer I saw. That seems like an eternity ago!

Finally we're brought back, to my ship! My heart is practically pounding out of my chest just at the sight of her, and Jack must feel the same way because a giant smile grows onto his face. Our joy over seeing the ship again is short lived, because eventually we begin nitpicking. Things are not exactly right, there are people on the ship that weren't really on the ship! And, I just don't know! But by the time the ship is sinking, me and Jack are on our feet practically screaming at the projection on the wall! I have to hold Jack back from attacking it "THAT'S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED! THAT'S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED!" he snarls angrily.

Suddenly Gabby comes out of her room, wearing a shirt that is much too large for her and a long pair of fuzzy pants with polka dots on them. She rubs her eyes and makes a weird face at us "What the hell are you watching? Why are you even still up?" she asks us. She doesn't look very happy at all, and we both look at each other before smiling sheepishly "Well, we were watching Titanic and..." I don't even have time to finish before she chucks a pillow at my head "You guys suck!" she growls before taking the movie out of the projector and marching back into her bedroom.

Jack looks sad "Awww! I wanted to see how it ends!" he whines. She looks at him, dumbstruck "Are you kidding me? YOU WERE THERE YOU KNUCKLEHEAD! HOW DO YOU THINK IT ENDS?", he wisely shuts up after her outburst, her face softens slightly. She sighs "Let me get ready for the day and we'll go out and get breakfast. Ok?" she asks. We both nod, it's probably best we don't anger her! She disappears into her room for about a half hour before coming back out. She looks us over before sighing "I'm not going to worry about what you're wearing right now because I'm kinda too tired to think straight, but I'll tell ya that what you're wearing, it's not gonna fly" she explains. Well of course it's not going to fly! Clothing doesn't fly! Does it fly in the future? I didn't see any flying last night! Poor delinquent looks half dead, with dark circles under her eyes. This is going to be an interesting outing!

Killian paws at her leg and she clips a leash to him "Alright, let's..." she yawns "Let's go!". The four of us step out into the frigid morning air, I don't feel it too much though because I'm wearing my overcoat, and Gabby's wearing a coat as well. Jack though, doesn't have his jacket because he handed it off to Gabby when the ship was sinking. Didn't she think to give it to him before we left the apartment? Oh yea, she's not thinking. I'll have to remember not to wake her up this early again, it's bad.

After watching Jack shiver from the cold I finally hand him my coat, afraid that if I let him shiver much more he'll freeze to death, again. Only downside is now I'm cold, but I'm a man! And I'm not going to complain at all about the chill! Finally we reach a building and Gabby smiles brightly at us "Alright boys, this is the best breakfast place around! It doesn't get much better than this! Fine dining right here!" she explains to us. Dare I ask, "What's it called?". She smiles up at me before telling me "Dunkin Donuts", this does not sound like fine dining at all, not even by future standards!

When we enter the building, we're greeted by the smells of coffee and baked goods. Jack runs up to the counter excitedly "Um, Hi! I'd like some breakfast!" he tells the lady confidently. She raises an eyebrow at him "Alright then, what would you like?" she asks. Jack's face suddenly turns blank "Well, what do you have?" he asks slowly. The girl looks slightly irritated to be confronted with this at such an early hour, she points to a large panel above her head "That's all the stuff we got" she tells him.

Jack looks even more confused now, and frankly, I'm a little confused too! I don't know what any of that writing on the board means! While we try to decipher what the hell a munchkin is, Gabby orders for herself. What did she just get? Eggs and cheese and a sausage on an English muffin? Me and Jack both agree to just order the same thing as her and hope for the best. We also get some coffee, even though in Jack's case I don't think the caffeine from last night has rubbed off just yet.

We sit down and Gabby begins eating her breakfast. Jack and I both watch her intently so we can know how to eat this, while Killian sits on the floor at her feet watching for any potential leftovers or tidbits. She smirks at us "It's a sandwich guys" she tells us after a few bites, oh, so it is. We both begin eating, and I'm absolutely revolted after only a few bites, this is NOT an egg, and I highly doubt this is a sausage either! It's flat! Jack seems to like his though "What's the matter Mr. Andrews?" he asks with his mouth full, I have to remind myself he's definitely not first class, if he was he'd be an absolute disgrace to his entire family.

"I don't care for, whatever substance this is made of" I tell them, pushing the disgusting thing aside, at least the coffee is good! Once the two young people finish their food Gabby stands and goes back up to the counter. Is she ordering more food? Well she best hurry because there's a line of rather obese people behind her, and they look like they really want their disgusting sandwiches and donuts.

Finally she returns with a box of donuts "Alright, I got the lecture food!" she tells us. Me and Jack look at each other worried, Lecture food? Killian excitedly jumps up and the ruffian pushes him down "No Killian, you can't have any today. I'll get you some before we leave for Titanic mkay?" she asks. The dog wags his tail and spins around in an excited circle before lunging ahead in the direction of the apartment. The sun has come up and it's a little less cold out, but only a little.

When we reach the apartment Gabby tosses the box of donuts onto her coffee table before telling me and Jack to sit on the couch. We both do and she begins pacing "Alright, so I'll give it to you straight. What you did last night was completely unacceptable" she tells us. I swallow, she's changed a bit since the last time I was with her hasn't she? This isn't the bubbly teenage girl I once knew, she's turned into an adult. And now she's about to tell us off, like a mother scolding her naughty children!

"We're damn lucky that you didn't wake the neighbors! You were up all night using this projector! Do you know how much electricity costs? I can barely afford the bills as is! And then you go running movies all night! AND SCREAMING! Screaming at the screen! I gave you the freaken Lion King, because I knew if you watched Titanic it would be a disaster! Literally!" she pauses and opens the box of donuts, taking a small chocolate ball and popping it into her mouth.

She runs her hand through her hair, which is still as unruly as it was before "Alright, you know what? I'm going out for a little while. I have a class this morning and then a shift at the pub. You two are going to stay here, and behave yourselves. Don't turn anything on, if you don't know what something is, don't touch it!" she tells us firmly "Understand?". We both nod and she smiles gently "I'm not big on rules, as you know. But I finally got my own place and I want to be able to keep it, ya know?" she asks.

Jack smiles "We're grown men sweetheart! We'll be just fine on our own!" he assures her. She laughs "Oh yea, I'm sure. Well, I'll be back later. Take care of Killian, and watch out for Thomas". Thomas? But I'm Thomas! Before I can ask her she's out the door and down the street. Jack and I sit in akward silence before he puts his hand in the box and pulls out one of the little balls, popping it in his mouth. His eyes light up as he swallows "Woah, Mr. Andrews you gotta try these!" he says, picking up the box and offering it to me.

I take one of the little balls out and pop it in my mouth. Say, these aren't half bad! Jack and I sit eating these little donut ball things for about 15 minutes, before he stands and begins looking around. He stops in front of a book case and pulls out a photo album "Hey! You don't know what that is! We aren't suppose to touch it!" I tell him. He laughs "Calm Down Mr. Andrews, we know what this is! It's a photo album!" he opens it "Aw! Come here! You gotta see this!" he tells me.

Somehow we end up on the floor in front of her bookcase looking through all the photo albums. We figured out that she was born in 1995, so we started with those albums and worked our way ahead in the years. There were a couple pictures that were cute I suppose, but some of them were just embarrassing to look at! "Hey! Look! Here she is in the bath with her sister!" Jack says, laughing. I blush furiously and look away, I cannot look at these pictures! It's, improper! I tell Jack to move onto the next album!

We're getting into the album labelled 2001 when suddenly I'm attacked from behind. I spin around to see an orange and white cat, with his claws imbedded in my vest. Jack smiles brightly "Hey! That must be Thomas!" he says. At hearing it's name, the cat lets go of my shirt and moves over to Jack, rubbing against him and purring loudly. Oh isn't he just a charming little gentleman? I have never been much of a cat person, I call for Killian and the scottish terrier bounds over to me, licking my hand. That's more like it!

This album we're on now depicts the delinquent about age 5 or 6. And to my surprise, she looks just like a little first class girl! There are so many pictures of her in little dresses, with the innocent face of a child. She doesn't even look devilish at all, just a cute little innocent girl! Most of the pictures with her in a dress have her posed, sometimes alone, sometimes with her two younger siblings. I remember her talking of them while on the Titanic.

Her little sister has a goofy grin on in most of these pictures, and even though she's probably only 4 here, from what her older sister has told me, she never changed. Her little brother, the one who loves my ship so much, is wearing a little sailor suit and a cap in the first few pictures we see. He appears to be about Elba's age in these photos. Jack makes a face and says his parents made him do the same thing when he was little boy, I don't believe my parents ever made me. I could be wrong though, I'm sure most boys, even I, had a sailor suit at one point or another.

I'm actually glad that Jack pulled these out. I've heard the saying 'A picture's worth a thousand words', and whoever said that really knew what they were talking about! These pictures tell just about everything about the delinquent's childhood! The pictures have her doing all sorta of things, from walking down the streets of New York with her sister at the age of 7, to her at 14 riding her little chestnut pony. Me and Jack don't even realize the time when suddenly the ruffian herself walks in.

Time seems to freeze for just a moment as she stands at the door, staring wide eyed at the albums piled around us. Killian paws as her legs and finally she blinks "Did you, see everything?" she asks. jack and I glance at each other, should we tell her the truth? Finally she sighs and comes over, pulling a few albums and things off the upper shelves that we were too lazy to stand and get. She sits down with us "I secretly like those pictures of me dressed up like a porcelain doll because I look cute, but don't tell nobody!" she says. We both nod and she laughs "Alright, well let me tell ya all about these people in the pics ok?" she asks, opening another album. Once again, we both nod, though honestly I'm not sure whether or not to scared. What if there are more pictures of her in the bath? Well at least Jack looks excited, sick man wanting to see a little girl in the bath, sick man!

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**My internet is not being very kind to me lately. So that's why it took me so long to get this up and why it's going to take so long to get more updates. **

**Yes, it's true. The wild delinquent used to go to kindergarten in a dress EVERY SINGLE DAY! I remember hating it too, because I'd want to play on the monkey bars but I couldn't because then people could see up my skirt. And I didn't like the tights that went with the dresses either, they were itchy! And yes, my parents had me pose for a lot of pictures. My dad was in school for photography, which contributed a lot of the pictures, but a couple of them my parents paid a lot of money for! That was back in the days when we had money. XD  
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**So, today in the Review gift shop we have the super awesome wonderfully amazing snowglobe of charm and wonder! Come get em while they're hot, er, cold, or whatever. Just come review and get em!  
**

**THANKS FOR READING! I need a chocolate milk...**


	3. Chapter 3

I thought it would be worth it, while I was eating them at dinner last night I thought it was worth it! But now that my stomach feels like it's being punched repeatedly, I regret eating them. I'm never eating any of this 'fast food' ever again, and I plan to write a very strongly worded letter to this Ronald McDonald when I recover!

At least the delinquent is being a little sympathetic, she went to her classes this morning but a few minutes ago she came home and promised to sit with me. I'm glad, because Jack has been with me all morning and he has done nothing but tease me for eating so many french fries. I couldn't help myself though! They were so delectable! So gooey and salty and oh, my mouth waters just thinking about them! Of course, that's overpowered by my stomach churning at the thought of more food.

Finally the ruffian comes in and sits next to me "You know Mr. Andrews, I think the older you get, the more McDonalds hates you. My mom never handled McDonalds very well, so I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise your stomach didn't like it. Plus, I don't think you've ever eaten that much grease in your light" she tells me, laughing lightly. Oh, so my illness is funny is it? She smiles softly "Don't worry bout it, I sat Jack down to watch Bambi, that should keep him occupied for a while. And while I was out I got you a present!" she says.

A present? Oh what could she have possibly gotten me? A one way ticket back to my own time period would be appreciated! But no, she holds up a bottle of pink, something. What on earth is that? She opens it and I wrinkle my nose, it smells terrible! She smiles "This is Pepto Bismal, you just drink a cap full of this and your stomach will be feelin just fine!" she explains. She's out of her bloody mind if she expect me to drink that pink poison!

She pours the pink liquid into a clear cap and holds it to my lips. No! I'm not drinking this! She begins to grow frustrated as I refuse, I can tell by the look on her face "Stop being a baby and drink it!" she tries to order me. I'm not being a child! I'm just being logical! Liquid that pink, with that smell, can't possibly be good for my stomach! A sudden wave of nausea comes over me though and before I can stop her she pours the liquid into my mouth and holds my mouth shut, forcing me to swallow.

It tastes just as bad as it looks and smells! The delinquent merely laughs at me as I pull a face at the horrible substance. And surprise surprise, I don't feel any better! When I tell her this she smiles gently "It takes a few minutes to come into effect. I don't see why you're complaining though! When I was little my parents made me take the most horrible tasting medicine! It made me absolutely despise the smell of artificial grape! Whenever I smell it now, I feel sick to my stomach".

Now I suppose my stomach feels a little better, it doesn't feel like I'm being punched anymore. Though there is still a dull ache, I'm sure it will go away now that this medicine is kicking in. Suddenly Jack bursts into the room, tears streaming down his face. He wraps his arms around the ruffian and buries his face into her shoulder, heaving a sob. She looks a little confused for a moment "What's the matter darling?" she asks him. His voice hitches as he speaks "B.. Ba... Bambi's mom. She..." he breaks down into a fresh wave of tears. After watching the Lion King, I can only imagine what became of Bambi's mother.

The ruffian coos to him softly and kisses him "It's alright, it's just a movie! It's not real!" she tells him. He chokes on another sob "I'll never hunt another deer ever again!" he says. She rolls her eyes "Why don't you go into the kitchen and pick out a tv dinner, I'll be out there in a minute" she tells him. He sniffles and nods "Ok", he stands and leaves the room.

"You feeling better?" she asks me, I nod, my stomach feels a lot better. Now I'm just tired and I would like to go back to sleep. She smiles almost sweetly and runs her hand through my hair "No more french fries for you. I'll take you and Jack to actual restaurants from now on" she tells me. She stands and I just barely hear her mumble under her breath "Even though I'll be broke by the end of the week".

Before I can tell her it's not necessary for her to waste on her money on me she's gone. I suppose I'll tell her tomorrow when these french fries are finished attacking my stomach anymore. As I drift off to sleep I hear something break in the other room, Jack let out a pitiful little cry, and Gabby groan as she has to pick things up. I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

My dreams bring me back to Ireland, back to before the maiden voyage of Titanic. I'm standing in the gardens of my parents' home in Comber at some sort of social gathering. Nellie sits with some of the ladies, chatting casually with them about one thing or another. Elba tugs on my pant leg "Daddy up!" she tells me. I pick her up and hold her on my hip and she wraps her arms around my neck. I carry her not too far away from the group of people and sit down with her in the grass. She teeters a little ways away and picks a dandylion, carrying it back and presenting it to me. I smile and thank her for the present.

I have to hold back tears as she climbs into my lap and yawns. I stroke her hair, it's so real and yet I know I'll wake up and it'll all go away! My heart aches at the thought, I don't want Elba to disappear! I want to be with her, and watch her grow up! Don't let me wake from this dream! Please! Elba nestles her head against my chest "Love you Daddy" she tells me as she begins drifting to sleep. I wrap my arms around her, crying slightly "I love you too Elba" I tell her. I wish I could have told her that a couple more times before I had to leave, it's too late now though. She's gone, and I'll never see her or Nellie again!

The next morning my stomach no longer pains me, but my heart still aches from the dream I had. I decide the best thing to do would just be to get up and do something, try to get my mind off it! When I enter the sitting room Jack's playing with Thomas the cat on the floor. He looks up at me "Oh! Just in time sleepy head! We have to go to the pub and meet up with Gabby!". The pub? He grabs his marconi jacket off the counter before tossing me my overcoat "I heard it's cold out" he tells me as he heads out the door. I pull on my coat and follow him out.

We walk down the street and he begins chatting with me "Did you know you can call someone on the telephone who's on the other side of the world! I've always wanted to do that! Talk to someone on the other side of the whole world! Don't you think that's neat?". I merely nod, it actually is pretty interesting. He grins brightly "Gabby promised she'd buy me a cellular telephone! You can carry it in your pocket! Wouldn't I have loved to have a telegraph machine that could fit in my pocket! All that equipment was a pain to lug around!" he continues. Hearing him talk about the marconi equipment peaks my interest slightly "Don't you miss it at all?" I ask.

He shrugs "Well I do I guess, I miss hanging out with Bride in the marconi room. But things are so much better here! Just look around! You can literally do anything here! You can go across the world in a matter of hours, when before it took days, weeks even! And nobody is separated by class here, not as much as before anyway. Nobody dies of diseases anymore, because they have modern medicine! And I mean, they have sent people to the moon! Just imagine! We stick it out here, things could be great!" he tells me. He does make a good point, the future does have lots of nice things that our own time period didn't have. One comment I can make just walking down the street is, it's a lot cleaner!

I suppose the delinquent gave Jack directions, because eventually we manage to get to the place she works at. It's not really all that fancy, entering in there's a bar and a couple small tables around. The ruffian's standing behind the bar in an apron, wiping the counter down. When she sees us she smiles brightly "Hey guys!". Jack and I both sit at the bar and watch her as she swipes her rag around the counter "Hungry? I can get you something before we go!" she tells us. I shake my head, I'm not hungry and Jack doesn't seem to be either. She tosses her rag under the counter and unties her apron, stashing it under the counter also "Alright boys, I have an exciting thing I wanna show you!" she tells us.

She has us get into her car, and then offers a small smile "Get ready boys, this is gonna be about a 4 hour trip" she tells us. I cringe at 4 hours, that's how long it took the rescue ship to come save us. They were 2 hours too late! Well at least this time 4 hours doesn't seem so long, we get to the place and Jack is bouncing in his seat excitedly "Oh tell me what we're going to see? Is it going to be amazing?" he asks. The girl smiles and nods "Oh yes, Mr. Andrews in particular will appreciate the, modern engineering" she tells me. Engineering? Well she certainly has peaked my interest now.

We park the car in a large parking lot and she begins leading us towards a strange looking place. There are tall metal hills with moving cars on them. One in particular looks to be even taller than the Titanic herself! The girl pays and we enter this strange place. Jack points a sign out to me that says 'Blackpool Pleasure Beach'. Is this a theme park? They had them back in my time I'm sure, but I'd certainly never been to one!

The girl studies a map with a critical eye "Well boys, this'll be an adventure for both of us, I've never been to this park before. I've always wanted to go though, so here we are! Now, I think the best thing to start off with would be the grand national". The Grand National? Isn't that an english horse race? Well we are near Liverpool, but I don't believe that the horse race will be held now, it's almost winter!

A large wooden structure comes into view and the girl leads us towards an entryway. Now we're waiting in line for this, whatever it is! Jack seems skeptical of this "What is gonna happen?" he asks, she thinks about it before saying "Well, it's hard to explain. You'll find out soon though" she tells us. That's not exactly reassuring. Suddenly it's our turn to board this strange train cars. Jack sits by himself in front of us, while the delinquent sits beside me. She shows me the seatbelt, and then pulls a strange bar down onto our lap. The person in control of the strange train gives us a thumbs up and then we're moving! I grip the bar, what's going to happen?

Besides the anxious feelings gripping me, this is all rather interesting. How did they build this, and why? How are we being pulled up this hill? The delinquent was right indeed, this was certainly mechanically engineered. But I haven't the slightest idea what sort of engineering this could be! Suddenly we reach the top of the hill and Jack lets out a yelp. We're rolling down this hill at such high speeds! The ruffian throws her arms up over her head and says 'Woo'. She nudges me "Come on Thomas! Try it!" she tells me. She never used my first name before, that's odd. I hesitantly let go of the bar and hold my arms up like she's doing.

Jack leans over the side of the car, pointing at a train that's on the tracks next to us "Bloody hell they're gonna beat us! Speed this thing up!" he says, slamming his hand on the bar. As though that will make this thing go faster! I think I've figured it out a little bit, it's gravity pulling us along! What is most interesting though is the weightless feeling I get when we're at the top of the little hills! I get lifted right up off my seat, especially now that I'm not holding on! This is, well dare I say it this is rather fun! Jack cheers excitedly as our train glides past the other one, and crosses under the sign that says 'winning post'. I suppose that means we won, gee I never thought I'd win the Grand National before! I'm sure Nellie and Elba would be proud!

Our next ride is called 'steeplechase', another horse race related ride? Unlike the last one though, instead of trains this one has actual horses that we have to mount! The delinquent pats my shoulder "You're on your own for this one ok? I'm gonna ride with Jack" she tells me. I don't mind, after the last thing we rode on I'm confident I can ride this with no problem. It's less than half the height of the other ride! I mount up on a white horse that's on a green track, while the ruffian mounts a yellow horse to my right, Jack sitting behind her with his arms wrapped around her. I can only chuckle slightly at the role reversal, I shouldn't have expected anything different from the pair of them!

Suddnly the ride starts and I'm slightly alarmed right off the bat. The only thing holding me on this this is a single strap, what if I fall off? Surely they would have better safety on something so, open! I mean really, I could slip right off the wide of this! I'm distracted by my worries by the chain pulling me up the hill. So that's how this works, a chain? So simple and yet, I wouldn't have thought of it. To be honest, I never would have thought of any of this. There doesn't seem to be a purpose to any of it, it's just for personal amusement!

I grip the horse tightly as it swings around tight corners, now I'm back to feeling unsafe. Jack and the ruffian are enjoying themselves though, Jack looking back over his shoulder at me and sticking his tongue out. Oh real mature Jack, can't you be an example for your fiance? She turns around and sticks her tongue out and I sigh, of course he can't. We go up and down some small hills, and suddenly I'm right alongside them. The girl gives me a funny look as I end up crossing the finish pole before her and Jack. When I dismount I'm shaking slightly, I suppose I was holding on just a little bit too tight.

"What was the look for?" I ask her, she laughs "Because the heavier the horse is, the faster is goes. Your horse beat Jack and I, therefore that must mean you are very fat" she tells me. Fat? Me? I'm not fat at all! I suck in my gut and Jack laughs at me "Come off it man, she's only teasing" he tells me. I don't care, I'm not fat! I have a very good metabolism! At least, back in 1912 I did, maybe it was that McDonalds that did me in! Yes, that evil Ronald McDonald made me gain weight with his addictive french fries!

The girl leads us up towards the big red thing I saw when we were coming in. She points up to it "There we are boys, the biggest coaster in the park. Let's go!". Suddenly I'm a little nervous, this thing is even taller than the Titanic. Heights never scared me before, I've been on scafolding that was over 100 feet in the air, but this rollercoaster is 215 feet tall! I've never heard of anything so tall, and now I'm going to go all the way up there!

The line is short, and it only makes me more fearful. What if coming on here is a terrible mistake? I must be trembling because the delinquent nudges me "Hey, if you're that scared I can ride with you ok?" she asks. I nod, I'd feel just a little bit better with her. Because if something horrible were to happen, then I could blame her for it right away! Jack looks completely nonchalant about the whole event, he examines the ride quietly while we wait. Finally it's our turn and the ruffian and I sit front row, with Jack right behind us.

As we click up the hill, I can't help but notice that it uses the same mechanics as the other rides we've been on. A chain is pulling us up this hill, and up, and up, and up! The top of the hill looks so far away! There are little markers alongside the track, and I watch them anxiously as they go by. 150 ft, 200 ft, I can hardly bring myself to look out over the theme park. It feels as though a gust of wind could come and blow this whole thing right over! My ship could fit under this thing right now! I've never been so high up, and I'm terrified!

Of course, I have about 10 seconds before we drop off the face of the planet to admire the engineering of such a massive structure. Well done whoever built this. I glance to the side and notice the ruffian is gripping the lap bar tightly, taking deep breaths as though she's about to give birth. I don't think she fancies the height either, but it was her idea to get on this thing!

Suddenly we're going over and my heart is pounding out of my chest. I'm more scared than I was on Titanic! Jack let's out a girly scream and I shamefully join him as we plunge down the steep hill. It only lasts a moment, but it felt like an eternity. Now the delinquent throws her arms in the air and cheers excitedly, I can't bring myself to do the same this time around. We're still so high up, and going so fast! Why do I keep trusting this madwoman? Why?

When the ride stops Jack and the delinquent are laughing, and I laugh a little too. I feel proud, like I just conquered the world or something! I'm surprised the thing didn't give me a heart attack though! The girl asks me for the time and I tell her it's 5 in the evening. She smiles "Sorry boys, looks like we're going to have to get going. Jack whines "But we've only been on 3 rides!" he says. She takes his hand and acts as though she's considering "Well, I don't have class or work tomorrow 'cause it's sunday. So, I suppose we could stay a little longer.

A little longer indeed, we stayed in that park until it was pitch black out and the park was closing. We must have ridden everything, from the wild train things to a dainty little carousel. There were a few games, and I found out I was quite good at the ones with the guns that shoot water. I won Jack a giant yellow mouse looking thing, that the girl dubbed as being called a 'pikachu'. Apparently it's some sort of 'pokemon', but I don't know what that is so, it means nothing to me. As for myself, I won a giant, unicorn, that's almost as big as the poor little delinquent. Of course, she is considered short for her time period, only being about 5' 3", but still! I find it wild that they have stuffed animals that large!

Finally we get into her car and begin heading home. Jack sits in the back with my unicorn and his pikachu, using them as pillows while he sleeps. The ruffian glances over at me "So, did you like it?" she asks. I nod, I really did enjoy the day actually "They certainly were marvels of modern engineering. They were so tall, they made the Titanic look like a mouse" I tell her. She laughs "Oh wait until we get to New York City! They have buildings over 1,000 feet tall! I'll take you and Jack up there if you'd like" she tells me. I shake my head "That's quite alright, I'll be content looking at them from the ground!" I assure her.

We get home and the delinquent gently tries to arouse her fiance, but has no success. He must have really gotten worn out by our experiences! I don't blame him though, I'm rather tired too! The ruffian grabs the unicorn and the pikachu, while I pick up her fiance and carry him into the apartment. I put him on the couch, where he's been sleeping since we got here. She tucks his little pikachu under his arm and smiles "Daw, doesn't he look cute?" she asks. I swallow akwardly, he's a grown man, it's not really that cute.

She pats my back "Well Thomas, I'm going to bed. Goodnight!" she tells me. I smile at her "Thank you, for the wonderful day" I tell her. She shrugs "Twas nothin! I love going to amusement parks!" she tells me. With that she enters her bedroom and closes the door. I walk over to the guest bedroom and flop on the bed. I'm exhausted, I don't think anything could possibly make me anymore tired than this!

* * *

**OMG Everybody! Do I have something funny to share with you all! Alright, so one night I was very bored so I took a piece of paper and some cardboard and I made a ouija board. Me and my sister only used it a few times, and we mostly talked to 'spirits' that we knew. But on the 4th of July me and my friend Heather used the board, and we ended up talking to a ghost who claimed he was 'Thomas Andrews'. **

**Me and my friend have talked to 'Thomas' twice now. And he had quite a few things to say! First of all, he is incredibly insulted by some of the fanfiction that has been written about him. We asked him why he was insulted by it and he said that he was not gay (referring to the slash fiction that has been written about him) and he is not stupid. He also said that Victor Garber did not portray him accurately in the movie, but his Biography is completely accurate to the way he really was. **

**He was absolutely hilarious! For starters, we asked him who was to blame for the Titanic sinking, and he said that it was the iceburg's fault for being in the way. Then I asked him if I should buy some coal from the Titanic and he said no, when I asked him why he told us that it's dirty. We asked him what we could have from Titanic if we couldn't have a piece of coal and he said that we could have gold money from the Titanic instead. Then we asked him how we were supposed to get the gold money, and he told us we should Scuba dive! We told him that the Titanic was too far underwater to Scuba dive to and we asked him how we were supposed to do that and he said 'Magic'. He informed us that the money was hidden on E deck in the second class by a passenger who stole the money from first class.**

**We were stacking coins on the corner of the box we were using the ouija board on (Because we were bored and found the coins on my bedroom floor) and he told us exactly how to stack them. Then we asked him if he wanted to name the tower and he named it Titanic. He then proceeded to take the pointer and push the stack of coins off the top of the box and then he told us to restack them. Only this time he named it the Olympic, we asked him why he was doing this and we basically settled on that he was imagining Mr. Ismay sitting on the top of the stack of coins and he was knocking him out along with his fleet of ships. So he knocked over the Olympic pile, and the last pile was the Britannic, which he knocked over very quickly. I guess he didn't like Mr. Ismay very much XD  
**

**Overall, we very much liked talking to 'Mr. Andrews'. I don't know if it really was Mr. Andrews or not, but whether or not it was, it was still funny! So anyway, please feel free to review! Tonight at the gift shop, we have Ouiji Boards! And since you can talk to dead people on them, they don't need any adjectives to make them more awesome because they're already awesome by themselves.  
**

**THANKS FOR READING!**


	4. Chapter 4

Television is such a miraculous invention, I'm glad for it's existence. Although it is certainly not as rewarding as designing world class ships, watching t.v. still occupies most of my time here in the future. I, well I daresay I even have a favorite channel! Ironically enough, I discovered it the day after the french fry incident, The Food Network.

Oh I could watch this channel all day! It's the only channel that keeps me sane, some of the food they cook looks as good as the food I ate on the Titanic. But the thing about the future is, they can make the food in a mere 30 minutes or less! I've yet to try and make anything they show me, Helen always did all the cooking at home for a reason after all.

As I watch some people bake cupcakes competitively Jack comes into the apartment after taking Killian for a walk and leaps onto the couch beside me "Hey! Guess what?" he asks me. I worry about Jack, the longer we stay in the future the more childlike he becomes "Yes?" I ask him. He grins widely "Aw come on Mr. Andrews! Surely you can at least try to guess?" he asks. I shake my head, I haven't the slightest idea what he might be thinking, and I don't think I want to know "Just tell me what Phillips!" I tell him.

He frowns "Aren't you a little irritable? What happened to the optimistic shipbuilder I used to know?" he asks, I look back at the television where I can see the cupcake baker I'd been rooting for has been eliminated. I point it out to Jack and he rolls his eyes "Come off it man! Why don't you watch Spongebob instead?" he asks me. I could think of a million reasons why I don't ever want to see that yellow monstrosity again, but I merely reply that it's vulgar.

Suddenly the delinquent comes in, taking off her jacket "Boys, we're going out!" she calls. Jack squeals excitedly and races over to a pink suitcase that is on the floor, which he has basically been living out of. We went shopping for 'modern clothing' a few days ago, although I still managed to maintain my regular stye. In the future though, what I wear is considered 'dress clothes' and the ruffian made me get at least one outfit that was 'casual'. I hope she doesn't expect me to wear it out in public tonight though!

Jack was very excited for modern clothing though, but to a point. He wears a lot of polo shirts, he must have gotten a polo shirt in every color of the rainbow! I am grateful it is only that though, I've seen gentlemen wearing the most atrocious clothing I'd ever seen. I saw a man walking with his pants hanging below his buttocks! When did that become fashionable? It looks horrid!

The ruffian disappeared into her room right after her announcement, and she comes out now wearing a dress not unlike the one she wore when we went back in time together. I believe Nellie, bless her, burned the thing the minute she got it off the girl. I remember her vaguely telling me the pattern on the fabric hurt her eyes and she had to go lie down because she got a migraine from it. My poor darling, I told her that she'd never have to see anything so hideous again so long as I was around. It makes me wonder, since I died, did she ever come across something as horrid as that dress? I feel myself getting worked up slightly as I think about it so I shake my head and return to watching the cupcake war, just to get my mind off everything.

"I'm ready to go!" Jack announces excitedly as he steps out of the bathroom. He's wearing a red polo shirt and a pair of dark jeans, and converse, oh the horrible footwear in this time period! It practically makes my eyes bleed! And the red polo shirt, oh I'm not going think about this anymore, I'm just glad Nellie isn't here to see this, I'm really glad!

Gabby's dress is yellow, and falls about an inch above her knees. I still haven't gotten used to the skirts in this time period being so high. The delinquent told me that I'm lucky we didn't fall in during the summer, or I would have been seeing girls in shorts that were cut so high I would have fainted from sheer shock. From all the things I've seen so far, I believe her. I'm sure Jack wishes he landed here in the summer, the ruffian will have her hands full with him if she is to keep him in line.

Jack sits back next to me and prods me in the arm "Mr. Andrews, lighten up! Don't you want to go out in something less dressy than that?" he asks. I shake my head, I'm perfectly comfortable with what I'm wearing, and I don't care if modern society rejects me for having some 'old fashioned' class. I won't be caught dead in any of this 'casual' wear!

The delinquent picks up her purse from a chair "Alright boys let's go!" she calls to us. Jack eagerly jumps up to follow, but I take my time. I'm not sure where she's taking us, but I pray it's not another fast food place. Maybe it'll be another amusement park! As I walk out the door my leather notebook, which Gabby had pulled out and shown to me yesterday, catches my eye. Surely it wouldn't hurt to bring it with me, for old times sake! I grab it and a pencil off the coffee table and stuff it into my jacket pocket, right next to my pocket watch, which I finally managed to get back from the delinquent. I'm amazed that she was so attached to it still, even with all the modern ways of time keeping, she still depended on my gold pocket watch.

We pile into her car, Jack calling the passenger seat like he has every single time we've taken her car since the theme park. I think he was secretly embarrassed to have fallen asleep in the backseat, but sitting up front hasn't necessarily made any difference. I get in and sit behind Jack, wishing I could be back in the apartment so I could see who won the cupcake battle. I'm a little wary of her driving, she has never done anything that would make me worry for my safety but still, I don't think that she should drive. What if she takes us on some sort of wild road adventure out of the blue? What if that's what she's planning right now? I mean, another 4 hour drive this late at night?

As we drive Jack turns on the radio and blasts Katy Perry songs one after the other. He found a new favorite song, California Girls. I don't know if I like the way California Girls sound. Still, he sings along cheerfully "California girls we're unforgettable! Daisy Dukes Bikinis on top! Sun-kissed skin so hot will melt yer Popsicle! Oooooh Oh Oooooooh". I have to wonder if he even knows what half of what he's talking about means. What's a bikini? And more importantly, who's Daisy Duke? She must have some sort of serious fever if her skin is hot enough to melt popsicles, I hope she got some medical attention for that!

Suddenly the car comes to a stop and Gabby turns it off, cutting Jack's song off short much to his disappointment. He looks over at her and she smiles brightly at him "Don't worry Jack, we've come to a place of music" she tells him. I don't like the way this sounds, not a bit, not one little bit. We step out of the car and begin heading towards a building, that has a line going out the door and down the street! There's a bright and colorful sign over the front door that says 'Fabric'. She's taken us clothes shopping again? I thought this was a place of music?

The closer and closer we get to the building, the more knotted my stomach becomes. I'm actually, a bit afraid of what I might face in there. There is some sort of loud thumping and a lot of other noise coming from within the building, and it makes me uneasy. The park I could see what I was getting into long before I actually had to do it. Here I have no idea what could possibly be inside there! Gabby just stands next to me chewing gum and Jack's talking to some stranger waiting in line behind us with a hood pulled down over his eyes, he looks rather sketchy to me. The delinquent nudges me "Thomas? It's gonna be alright, you'll see" she assures me. I'll take her word for it, on Titanic nothing bad usually happened when I took her word for it, and in the modern day it still seems to hold true, but who knows!

A guard stops us as the door and asks us for identification, Gabby nonchalantly pulls her drivers license out of her bag and then hands him the identification she got for me and Jack while we were clothes shopping. The guard nods and waves us into the building, the ruffian links arms with Jack and I and escorts us into the chaos inside.

The first thing I notice is it's very dark in here, and loud! And there are bright colorful flashing lights everywhere! And there are multitudes of people, all cramped in this room jumping up and down in beat to the wild thumping of this, 'music'. It's causing me a great amount of distress, but I have to be brave! The ruffian said it'd be alright, and I sank on the Titanic for goodness sake! Honestly, what could be scarier than awaiting your own death? The girl hands Jack and I some money and smiles "This is for the bar!" she says over the crowd. I try to tell her I don't drink but suddenly she's gone, and Jack's gone too! They must have gone out into that crowd of people!

Alright, don't panic, it'll all be alright. I just need to find somewhere to go and calm my nerves. I look around frantically, how do I navigate this crowd? I'm a gentlemen, I'm not going to just push and shove my way through the crowd! Someone shoves me from behind though and nearly causes me to fall on my face. I'm on some sort of weird floor, that pulses to the music that is pounding in my ears! As interesting as this floor may be, I wish very strongly that Mr. Hartley were here to play some real music. I miss the sweet sounds of his violin at first class dinner. I miss making small talk with Mr. Astor and Mrs. Brown! I even miss Mr. Ismay! Oh I would ride that 200 foot rollercoaster a hundred times just to be with him again! I need someone to get me out of here!

Finally I manage to stumble out of the crowd. I think a few people grabbed me in places that only Nellie has ever come close to, and it is rather upsetting. I want to go home! I'm never trusting that ruffian again! Never! My cheeks feel wet and I realize I'm so distraught and fearful that I'm crying! No, I'm an Irishmen! And Irishmen don't cry over silly things like this! I didn't cry on the Titanic, I didn't cry at the amusement park, and I'm not going to cry now! I'm going to have to cope, but maybe a stop in a washroom wouldn't hurt. I scan the room and spot a light that points in the direction of a bathroom. I must get there! I must!

I manage to make it there, and I push open the door and go to the sink. This room is sheltered slightly from the chaos outside, and I lean over the sink and try to catch my breath. I feel horrible, just horrible. I've never been so scared in all my life. All my senses were just, assaulted in so many ways! Some ways I don't even think I can explain! I've been touched where nobody is supposed to touch me, and, I let out a quiet sob, I just want to go home! I miss Nellie! I miss Elba! I miss Belfast and the shipyard! I don't like this society at all, there's no class here! They're all just like the ruffian, in fact the ruffian looks like a heaven sent angel compared to them!

Suddenly my thoughts are broken by a women poking my arm "Hey buddy, why the water works? Tough day?" she asks me. One glance at this women shows that she is not one of high class. She's wearing a purple dress that stops little less than halfway down her thigh and is cut low enough on the top to make me blush. And she's wearing stockings that look as though they're make of fishnets, with heels so high I can't comprehend how she walks in them. Her face, oh her eyes are outlined in layers of black eyeliner and mascara, with blue eyeshadow that is very unbecoming. She's wearing bright red lipstick as well, which she must have come in here to reapply.

Yet even though she's most definitely a, um, prostitute of some sort, I decide to talk with her "No, I've never been to a, whatever this place is before. And I'm a little..." she chuckles "Aw Honey, a bit shy? No need to be bashful. Here, lemme take you to the bar, a drink'll calm yer nerves a bit alright?". I nod and she takes my hand, shaking it "My name's Vixie. Who are you?" she asks, I swallow "Thomas" I reply. She once again laughs, and I can't decide if it's unnerving or reassuring. She takes my hands and leads me back out into the fray, across the thumping floor, where I think I catch a glimpse of the ruffian and Jack having the time of their lives, and to a bar.

The bar, though I've never actually drank or sat at one, is reassuring. It looks the same as any bar I've ever seen! Vixie orders us two, somethings, and the bartender pours two glasses and puts them in front of us. Before I can pull out the money the delinquent gave me Vixie has payed "Don't worry about it, it's on the house!" she tells me, smiling. I take the glass in my hand, wary of the liquid inside, I've seen what alcohol can do, it doesn't do good things! Vixie has already downed a few sips of hers though "Go on ahead buddy! It won't hurt ya!" she says. Alright, I take a sip and pull a face, it's horrid!

I must be quite entertaining, because she laughs for what seems like the hundredth time "You'll get used to the taste. It's acquired taste! Here, have some more!" she encourages. I take a few more sips, and she's right! It isn't so bad after all! Before I know it I've emptied my glass, and she was right, I feel a lot calmer than before! I quickly order another drink and she cheers "Thata boy Thomas!" she says. Suddenly a man appears behind her and whispers something in her ear. She empties her glass in one swig and looks over at me "Sorry buddy, I gotta take this. Business ya know. Anyway, hope to see ya again sometime Thomas" she slips me a piece of paper with a number on it "Call me sometime!" she calls as the other man leads her away. I stuff the paper in my pocket, just because.

After a few more glasses, I feel a lot better. I mean, I feel a LOT better! The music doesn't seem so hard on my head anymore, actually, I want to get up and join those young people! You know what? I'm going to! I hop off my bar stool, almost falling over myself. I use the bar to stable myself before making my way towards the crowds jumping up and down on the dance floor. As I make it there a man's voice comes on "Alright you ravers! Time to play an old favorite! Everybody get your rock on!". Suddenly a very familiar song begins playing and it's met by many cheers and hoots.

Maybe Jack and the Delinquent played this song for me once, the Party Rock Anthem. Why does it seem so familiar? Oh who cares? I begin jumping, higher than anyone else! Before I know what I'm doing I'm shouting that I'm king of the world, I feel like I'm king of the world! I'm king of this whole damn world! I don't remember how I did it, but suddenly people are carrying me across the floor over their heads, passing me around! Their hands are touching me in weird spots again but I don't care! This is fun! Yes, I'm having fun! My siblings would be so jealous of the good time I'm having! So would all my mates back in Harland and Wolff! Ha Mr. Harland! Who's the better man now?

Suddenly I fall on the floor, underneath the people's feet. It didn't hurt, but it takes me a minute to get back on my feet, mostly because the room feels as though it's spinning. Maybe it's part of the dance floor, maybe it moves, who knows with the future anymore. I laugh and stumble around, I wish the room would stop moving! Suddenly I bump into Jack and I hiccup "HI JACK!" I shout happily! I'm so happy to see him, I missed him!

He looks at me funny before tugging on the delinquent's arm "Gabby, Gabby someone broke Mr. Andrews!" he says. She turns and looks at me, before rolling her eyes "Oh Tommie, I didn't think I gave you enough money to do that!" she tells me. I chuckle "I met a lovely lady named Dixie, no, um, Pixie, NO! It was, um" before I can get her name out Gabby slaps her palm to her face "VIXIE!" she says. Oh, so she knows Vixie? I'm glad!

She takes my arm and begins tugging me "Alright Thomas, we're going to go home now" she tells me. I shake my head, I don't want to go home! We just got here! She drags me across the dance floor "It's gonna close in like half an hour anyway, might as well beat the traffic" I hear her grumble. Jack pats my back as she escorts me outside and towards her car. Suddenly I don't feel very well "Um, Can we stop for a minute?" I ask her. The whole street looks funny, and I am finding it increasingly difficult to walk. She looks at me sympathetically, but doesn't stop walking.

We get into her car and she begins driving. She and Jack are talking about something, but I can't really understand what they're talking about. Why can't I? I sure wish I had another drink right now! When we get back to her apartment my stomach begins hurting worse "Gabby, I don't feel good!" I tell her. She shoves me towards her front door. The moment the door is open I suddenly run in and rush to the bathroom, collapsing by the toilet and vomiting. I really don't feel good right now, and my head is starting to pound again, like it did back in that place, but times ten!

The delinquent is by my side in an instant, rubbing my back "What did you drink?" she asks me. Her voice is soothing, but I have to vomit once more before I tell her, honestly "I don't know". She prods me "Was it wine?" she asks me, I shake my head, that much I know. I know what wine tastes like, from the times I had it at dinner, but what I had tonight, was not wine. Suddenly she's digging in my pockets "Where's Vixie's number?" she asks me. I vomit again "How, how do you know I have it?" I ask her. She rolls her eyes "She gives all the boys she meets her number! She's the richest prostitute around!".

When she finds the number she quickly dials it into her cell phone and calls it. I hear Vixie's familiar voice on the other end "Vixie? It's Gabby!" the ruffian says. "Oh hi Gabby! Sorry honey I can't talk right now, with a client and all" she tells her, Gabby huffs impatiently "Yes well you bought some drinks for a man named Thomas today. Can you please tell me what you got him?" she asks, Vixie quickly answers and Gabby nods "Thank you Vixie".

I think I puked three more times during that conversation, I can't remember. But I just want to go to sleep! Gabby rubs my back "Thomas you're just going to have to stay up and get all that stuff out of your system alright? Don't worry though, I'll be with you all night" she tells me. I nod, and she runs a hand through my hair "I'm sorry I brought you to the club tonight, I thought maybe since you reacted so well to the amusement park it wouldn't be such a big deal. I thought maybe if I brought you to the craziest place in the 21st century, you'd find that it wasn't so bad and you'd like the future. But I thought wrong" she tells me.

Suddenly I feel the urge to cry, and she hushes me "Don't you cry none, I didn't cry the first time I got drunk! And I'm not going to be having my big tough shipbuilder crying either!". I sniffle "But..." I vomit into the toilet again before I can finish and she coos to me "I'm going to get you a blanket and I'm gonna tell Jack to go to bed, ok?" she asks.

No! Don't leave! But I can't bring myself to say the words before I'm vomiting and she's gone. Now I want to cry even more! She left me all alone in this cold unforgiving bathroom with a demon inside me! I want another drink! I want Nellie! Suddenly the ruffian is back, wrapping a blanket around my shoulders "You're just gonna have to wait it out. Tomorrow you're going to sleep all day so you don't have to suffer from your hangover too much, like I did" she tells me. I can only cry into her as she tells me this, I want Vixie! Actually, my mind is so jumbled and fuzzy, I don't know what I want right now! I suppose the delinquent will do, she's soft. She pats my back "We're leaving for Southampton the day after tomorrow" she tells me softly "Everything will be just fine". I hope so!

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**Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up! A bit of writers block, and then a camping trip that inspired this chapter! Also, I'm getting a new puppy tomorrow. A little Scottish Terrier, whom we've decided to call Cosette. I pushed for Titanic names to much! I was incredibly close to getting Mollie! And I would have pushed for Maggie but my friend's golden retriever is already called Maggie. And of course I tried for Nellie and Elba too, but to no avail. Cosette is fine to though, she's named after a character in Les Miserables, one of my most favorite musicals of all time =)**

**So, 'Thomas Andrews' the Ouija Board ghost said a LOT more things, but I'm not going to put them all here. I'll just tell you what he said about Titanic, if you want to know what he said about all the other stuff we asked him, then PM me or something. Honestly, I don't quite know if I 'believe' in the board really, I just find it incredibly entertaining! I mean sometimes the answers were like the funniest things ever!  
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******Alright, so what did he say about Titanic. Well, we asked him if he used anything on Titanic (like the pool) and he said he used the dishes. We told him that didn't count but he said it did. We also asked him about the gates in 3rd class and why he put them there, and he said it was a law. We didn't know if that was right or not so we looked it up and sure enough the Titanic was required by law to have the gates separating 3rd class from 1st and 2nd (We thought this was kinda creepy because we didn't know that, so it couldn't have been us moving the pointer). We asked him what he was thinking in his final moments on the ship, and he said 'Water'. Then we asked him if he wanted to go swimming (Because we wanted to) and he said he didn't want to because he hates water. Poor Guy =/**

******Today in the Review Gift Shop, we're giving away Coffee Mugs in an assortment of styles. Of course we got a mug with the Titanic, but then we also got a mug that has all the officers on it, and another mug that has Thomas Andrews beating Mr. Ismay over the head with his blueprints. And we also have a mug of Molly Brown beating the snot out of Hitchens, because we all know that if we saw that mug for real, we would buy it! But anyway, if you want one of those mugs, you gotta review! SO REVIEW NOW!  
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******Thanks for Reading!**

******_Added A/N: Hey everybody. Gonna put the backstory for Vixie down here in case anyone's curious how Gabby knows her so well. Essentially, the first year of college Gabby and Vixie were roommates. Then 2nd year Gabby obviously moved out into her own apartment, while Vixie dropped out of school and became a well, prostitute. Even though they parted ways though they are still on relatively friendly terms. So there you have it!_  
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	5. Chapter 5

"How come I can't drive?" Jack whines. I personally don't care who's driving, as long as we make it to Southampton in one piece! The ruffian is totally focused on the task of staying in her lane while we navigate through some traffic caused by construction. She doesn't even glance at Jack as he continues to ask why he can't drive when he's the man of their relationship. She doesn't even roll her eyes, even though I'm sure she'd very much like to.

While I was suffering from my hangover, and I literally mean suffering, I took great care in watching the little couple. They seem more like children than adults, he is curious about everything new that he comes across, and she gently shows him how the world works today. I get a sense that if anyone else bothered her with such questions she would hit them, but not Jack. There is a certain way she looks at Jack, and at me. I'm not exactly great at guessing, everything I've ever had to predict usually had a mathematical equation, but the delinquent's reasoning behind her love for us, there is no equation for that.

So if I make a, rather well educated guess, I'd say we fill a void in her heart. I remember watching her, after the whole Titanic business, wondering why she isolated herself so much! She was so reserved, nothing like the girl I knew on the Titanic, who'd interrogate Mr. Ismay like it was some sort of game! Who'd wire other ships asking them the most ridiculous questions she could think of! The girl was really insane when she was with me, but in the presence of everyone in her own time, not a word! Almost as though she were afraid to speak, afraid of being rejected by her peers. But her peers never seemed to mind her, far from it, many of them seemed to love her. But she kept herself to herself, that hardly matters now though.

Suddenly Jack asks her how much longer it will be until we reach the dock. She sighs "About an hour" she tells him, he leans back in his seat "So what are we going to do when we get to New York?" he asks her. The girl shrugs "See my parents I suppose, I'm pretty sure they're still in the same house" she replies. She's pretty sure? "You don't know if they're still there?" I ask her, she shakes her head "Haven't spoken to them since I left for London right after High School" she answers plainly.

Jack is playing with a playbill he found on the floor by his feet "Why didn't you talk to them?" he asks her curiously. She huffs almost bitterly "I don't really, care to be in contact with them. We'll leave it at that". Jack looks like he's about to ask her something else but I kick the back of his seat and he lets out a little yelp "OW! Something bit me!" he says, rubbing his back.

"You got rats in this car?" he asks her, looking around. She shrugs "Dunno, haven't cleaned my car out in a while. There could be anything in here" she replies to him carelessly. He begins getting antsy in his seat and she glances over at him "Why don't you look at the scenery?" she asks him. He looks out the window "There's nothing out there to look at!" he tells her, she finally rolls her eyes, then quickly diverts them back to the road "Well you could watch another movie!" she tells him.

I don't know if me and Jack will be able to sit through another movie, honestly I haven't appreciated any of the movies she has shown us, especially all the ones having to do with the Titanic. Suddenly Thomas the cat lets out a pitiful meow, I poke my fingers into the door of his cat carrier and he being licking my finger tips and rubbing his head against them. Killian, who'd been asleep in my lap begins licking my pant leg in an attempt to get my attention back.

Jack looks back at me "Aw, look it's Dr. Dolittle!" he says, with a wide grin. I roll my eyes, that was one of the worst movies I ever watched in my life, but Jack of course loved it like he loved every other movie! Speaking of Jack, he's starting to mess with the panel in the car, which makes me nervous, what if he causes us to get into an accident? Images of Elba's accident flash through my mind and I quickly snap at Jack to stop touching things!

The delinquent of course laughs at me "Mr. Andrews just chill out ok?" she asks, still not taking her eyes off the road. Chill out? How does she expect me to chill out when she has the heat on in her vehicle! She glances down at the panel Jack was messing with "You guys want some music?" she asks. That depends on the music, she had me listen to some more modern music, and now it's even worse than the last time I was here! Even Jack hated the music, he said he wanted Katy Perry and the ruffian had to pull out her old ipod to play it.

Ramin the canary bird that I had no idea she even owned until this morning, begins chirping loudly and the girl quickly hits the play button on the panel to try and drown him out. I expect to be blasted by something terrible, but to my surprise I'm met with the soothing sounds of Cantique de Jean Racine. She curses under her breath and tries to get the music to stop playing "Why are you listening to that?" Jack asks as he tries to help her, she laughs "Nostalgia. I'm actually singing in this recording" she replies, finally getting the cd out.

"You sang works by Gabriel Faure?" I ask her, she nods "Yea, for an All County concert. It was my second favorite thing we sung. I've also played Pavane in my school's band" she replies nonchalantly. Wait, it was only her second favorite song to sing? What was her first favorite? Jack asks the question before I get to and she plugs her old ipod touch into the panel, scanning through her music. When she finds the song she was looking for she selects it "This was my favorite song" she tells us.

It's pretty enough I suppose, she tells us it's called The Seal Lullaby by a gentlemen named Eric Whitacre. This song makes me think of Elba, I would have sung this to her as a lullaby had it existed back in my own time period. I think Jack is trying to picture actual seals in his mind, but it's not going well for him. When the song ends she tells us she wants a little peace before we get to our destination, so she puts on the War Horse soundtrack and tells us to shut up.

Jack falls asleep after the first five minutes, I'm not tired so I stroke Killian's head and listen to the music quietly. It's, it's quite good actually. By the end of the soundtrack I'm almost lulled to sleep myself when Thomas the cat lets out another meow. I feel for the poor cat, he just wants a little petting! Quietly I open up the door to his carrier, thinking maybe I can just stick my hand in and pet him, but before I can even blink he's out of the carrier and jumping around the car.

The orange monster leaps onto Jacks head and begins attacking his hair. Jack practically jumps out of his seat as he wakes up "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" he shrieks "IT'S A GIANT RAT!". Killian begins barking madly and he jumps up after the cat, pouncing onto Jack's head and then launching himself towards the ruffian as Thomas tries to make his get away. When he jumps on her she swerves a bit and I cling to the seat like my life depends on it. My heart is pounding! Please don't let me have a heart attack right now!

Killian continues pursuing the stupid cat around the car, suddenly they knock into the bird cage and upset poor Ramin who was napping on his perch. The bird begins squawking as Thomas tries to break into the cage to eat him. I try to get him off but I'm still white knuckle clinging to my seat as Gabby tries to refocus herself on staying on the road. I can tell she's incredibly tense because she's leaning very close to the steering wheel and gripping it rather tightly.

Jack is panicking about his hair and his semi-bleeding scalp, and I can't help but feel sorry for the lad. Suddenly Thomas comes within reach and I grab him by the scruff, stuffing him back into his carrier and slamming the door shut! He lets out a mournful meow and I ignore him, that's the last time I do anything for that cat! He always does nothing but cause trouble for me! Killian quietly pads over and settles himself on my lap again. All the chaos has made me feel rather tired and I rest my head back, I'll just close my eyes for a moment to rest. That was terrifying!

Suddenly I feel myself being shaken awake "Thomas! Tommie wake up we're here!" I hear the delinquent call. How could we be there already? I open my eyes and everything is a little dark, where are we? This doesn't look like the Southampton dock! The ruffian smiles gently at me "We're going to be late, come on. Get your suitcase out of the back of the trunk" she tells me. I step out of her vehicle and look around, we're rather high up! I can see the street from up here. Jack grins at me "Have a nice nap old man?" he asks me teasingly. I growl at him, I'm not that old! And he shouldn't be talking, he sleeps almost every time we're in the car!

Gabby takes Killian's leash, her rolling suitcase, and Ramin, while I'm stuck carrying Thomas the cat and my own suitcase. Jack got off easy, only having to bring his own suitcase. We walk through this odd building and to a lift, which takes us down to the street. As we walk the ruffian tells us that she managed to get us a room in first class at last minute, and she managed to get it at a discount since she was working and since she'd been saving for this trip practically since the day she first heard about it.

I don't understand why she didn't just buy her own first class ticket if she'd been saving, but I suppose the only way she's able to afford first class is because she's working. I don't very much like the fact that Jack and I will be enjoying our time on the ship while she has to work. I at least hope they treat her as good as White Star treated their employees originally.

My heart stops in my chest for a moment as we come around a corner and finally see her. I have to stop dead in my tracks just to take her in. She's beautiful! Just like I remember! It's as though it's some kind of terrible dream, that I'll run up to the ship to find it is not really Titanic, but a figment of my imagination. But oh, she really is real isn't she? I feel tears welling up at the sight of her, I never thought I'd see Titanic again, not looking like this! Jack is awestruck just like I am "Well would you believe that? Looks just like the bloody original!" he says in disbelief.

The delinquent ushers us along "Come on, we still have to go through baggage check" she tells us. The closer we get to the ship, the more amazed and emotional I feel. It's really here, it's just like the first one! Only this time I know she won't sink! I know she won't! Oh and they built her from my designs! Here in the year 2016, over 100 years after my death and they built one of my ships again! Nellie and Elba would be so proud of me, I wish they could see this! I wish Nellie were here with me so I could show her the new Titanic! I'd show her all the modern things that I'm sure are on it, the televisions and the internet! I bet she'd enjoy the cupcake show too!

We reach a point where security stops us and begins going through all our belongings. She hands one gentlemen a paper showing that Killian, Thomas, and Ramin have been cleared to travel in first class with Jack and I. The man nods and waves us all through, and now we're on our way up the gangplank. She looks back at us "Alright boys, I'm going to help you settle into your cabin then I have to go get my work schedule and stuff" she explains to us. As we walk through the hallways on A deck, I'm actually quite impressed. Everything so far seems to be exactly the same, from the carpet to the wallpaper, to the light fixtures! Of course, that means that all my little things that I had a problem with before, won't be fixed here!

When we reach our room the ruffian pulls out two keys, one for me and one for Jack. Jack insists on opening the door first, and he takes his time doing it. My heart is racing, I just want him to open the door already! Finally he pushes the door open and what greets me makes me what to cry tears of joy. It looks just like it did before! I enter the room and look around, the paneling on the walls, the fireplace, everything looks exactly the same! Only, there are added things now! There's a flat screen television hanging over the fireplace, and outlets on the lower parts of the wall. It doesn't take away from the room though, far from it! I wish we could have provided such luxuries back in 1912!

Killian bounds into the room excitedly, sticking his nose to the ground he begins sniffing around the room curiously, disappearing into one of the bedroom as he explores. Thomas the cat steps out of his cat carrier and stretches before following Killian's example and exploring the rooms. We place Ramin's cage on the desk in the sitting room, and he quietly stares around the room with his beady black eyes. Jack looks around the room "So this was first class huh? Definitely a step up from the quarters me and Bride had to share" he comments. Oh great, I've got to train Jack to be a first class gentleman! Hopefully he won't be as uncivilized as the delinquent was. I wonder what first class will be like in modern times? I certainly hope their taste in food hasn't changed, I don't think I would be able to stay on this ship if I found out cheeseburgers and french fries were on the menu.

Gabby tells us she must be going. She pats all her little companions and tells them goodbye, before giving Jack a kiss on the lips. I miss Nellie, I wish she could see all this with me, suddenly the girl is hugging me and she smiles gently "If you get upset during this voyage, you come and find me ok?" she asks. I don't understand why I would get upset, I'm quite the opposite of upset. I love this ship! But I nod to her anyway and she leaves the room. Jack immediately flops onto the couch and turns on the television. We're on the Titanic again and all he can think to do is sit and watch television? Well I for one am not going to just sit here and do nothing! I want to see my ship! I tell Jack I'm leaving and he waves me off, his eyes never leaving the glowing screen.

It may have been a while since I last went around my ship, but I still know every inch of her. And I've brought my notebook along just to make sure that every detail is in fact correct. My first destination, the grand staircase. They must not have gotten it wrong, if they did, I will be absolutely furious! My heart is racing faster and faster the closer I get to the staircase. All the way there seems so familiar, yet I know that I've never walked this way before, not on this ship.

As I make it to the grand staircase, I can feel tears welling in my eyes. I finally realize what the ruffian was talking about when she told me I might get upset. The staircase is beautiful, it looks just like it did before! The glass dome, the clock, everything! But my heart aches knowing this is all just a replica, this isn't really the grand staircase, it's just a copy. The real staircase lies in pieces at the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, my stomach turns over as I think about the people getting caught in this room as the water poured in, dying a horrible painful death on my beautiful staircase. I turn away from it and take a deep breath to steady myself, maybe I should return to the stateroom for a little while to settle my nerves. I'll come back and explore with Jack, yes, I'll come back with someone!

I look at the staircase one last time, I can almost see the first class passengers going up and down the staircase. I can see them, the women in their long flowing gowns and the men in their brand new custom made suits. Now the staircase will be populated by a much different crowd, and I don't think I want to see that. I finally manage to tear my eyes away from the staircase and I rush back to the safety of our stateroom. Jack looks up at me as I reenter the room "I thought you were going exploring?" he asks. I swallow back any emotions that linger from my confrontation with the grand staircase and sit on the couch beside him "Nah, decided I was feeling a little tired" I tell him.

He shrugs and flicks through the channels, we both end up watching a show about a glee club or something. Neither of us are really invested in the show though, we're both too busy thinking about the ship. I can tell now sitting next to Jack that he doesn't want to see the rest of the ship because he's afraid of what he might find. What ghosts he might have to face, now that I've faced some I don't blame him for his fear. I certainly hope the delinquent returns soon, I don't like being on this ship without her being around. My voyage on the original Titanic was so much better with her insanity, she made me forget the tragedy that would strike. I know this ship won't sink, but I need her to keep me reassured. I never thought I'd say that, that I need her. I must be losing my mind in the future.

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**So uh, I don't really have much to say in this authors note, I think it's kinda hard for me to think of something to say because it's 2 in the afternoon and I haven't eaten anything all day so I'm starving. Well now that we're on Titanic, there is going to be some SERIOUS chaos! You know how much I LOVE chaos. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go get me a sandwich...  
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**Today in the review gift shop, we have Titanic calenders! Every month has a different person. Pretty sure the people are as follows. In January-Captain Smith, February-Mr. Ismay, March-Officer Murdoch, April-Officer Lightoller, May-Thomas Andrews, June-Molly Brown, July-Officer Wilde, August-Officers Lowe and Moody, September-J.J. and Madeleine Astor, October-Phillips and Bride, November-Ida and Isador Straus, and in December we have a picture of Titanic herself. So if you want one of those nifty calenders, REVIEW PLEASE!  
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**Thanks for Reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

I don't understand Jack sometimes, he insisted we go up to the upper decks to wave goodbye to everyone as we went out of port. We don't know anyone down there, so why are we waving? When I ask him this he looks at me and chuckles "I didn't get to wave last time I was on Titanic, so I want to now!" he tells me. He turns back to the huge crowd of people below, most of them snapping pictures of us as we begin to pull away from the dock "GOODBYE EVERYBODY! I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU! I'LL MISS YOU!" Phillips calls excitedly. Oh what the hell? "FAREWELL EVERYBODY!" I call down to them, everyone down below is cheering excitedly.

Now we're on our way! People on the deck begin dispersing, heading to their cabins to unpack their things or going to explore the ship before dinner. Jack and I decide to stay on the deck, and we find two empty deck chairs to settle into. Jack smiles "I'd like to see how they advanced the Marconi equipment. I bet they have telephones to call land now! And you don't have to type out Morse code anymore" he tells me. I still find it interesting that he isn't fazed by the fact that the only thing he ever knew on this ship is gone.

As we talk Jack tells me how excited he is to reach New York and meet the delinquent's parents. Honestly, I'm curious to meet them as well. What parents could be responsible for the ruffian I've come to know and love? Jack smiles "I want to marry her as soon as I can" he says "I wish I could show her how much I love her, but any ways I knew how don't work anymore! What should I do?". That's an interesting question, how do you court a girl in the future?

Suddenly the girl in question comes strolling by, and my jaw drops at the sight of her. She's dressed like one of the stewardesses from the original voyage! Apron and all! Jack raises an eyebrow "Gabby?" he asks, she stops and smiles at us "Hey guys! Enjoying the voyage so far?" she asks. Her fiance stands and walks around her, examining her outfit "They are making you wear that?" he asks her questioningly. Honestly, I'd think they would have updated the uniforms a little bit, after seeing her in modern clothes, I can't believe I'm saying this, but she looks dated. She looks almost out of place amongst everyone else on the ship!

She laughs "Yea well I only have to wear it for a little while. I actually don't have to work that long! I mean, 6 hours a day on this ship? That's not so bad! And when I'm not working they said I'm allowed to go anywhere on the ship I want as long as I'm not wearing my uniform! That means we can hang out together!" she tells us cheerfully. I believe Jack is more excited over this news than I am, but I still smile at her. "You boys go exploring the ship yet?" she asks us, Jack shakes his head and she laughs "Well then what are you waiting for? Go on! Go on!" she says, practically shoving us into the ship.

She pushes us into the gym, I turn around to try and tell her we don't really want to see the ship but she's gone! Great, just great! Jack begins examining the gym equipment "Check out this stuff Mr. Andrews" he says, looking at a strange looking machine. How does this even work? I sit down at it and find a sticker with the directions on it, it says to grab these two handles and pull the strings down, and to just keep doing that, then that's the workout. Well that's easy! I pull on the handles and almost fall backwards by how easily they go. Jack laughs "Well?" he asks, I frown, this isn't a workout at all! Suddenly I spot the weights, I'm only pulling 15 pounds! Jack spots it too "Oh, here I'll make it heavier!" he says.

After a moment he tells me to try again and I do, but I can't even get the handles to budge. What did he set it to? I don't care though, I need to lift this! I haven't gone soft in my old age have I? No, never! I pull and pull and actually manage to get it down, Jack stares at me wide eyed with his mouth gaping open. I feel great, I did it! Suddenly though I hear a crack, and I don't believe it was the equipment. My shoulder feels as though it's been hit by a truck and I let go of the two handles, letting the weights crash back down. Jack looks startled as I clutch my shoulder "Shit! Are you ok Mr. Andrews?" he asks. I cringe and rub my shoulder, it hurts terribly but I assure the Marconi operator that I'll be alright. He laughs "I didn't think you'd be able to lift that! I set it to the heaviest setting! As a joke!" he tells me. I have to hold back tears due to the pain in my shoulder "Oh? And how heavy was that?" I ask him. He grins "Um, I think it was around 250 pounds".

While I try not to cry about my shoulder he turns and begins examining another machine, stepping up on it and begins reading the instructions. After a moment he reaches forward and clips a string to his belt before pressing a button. Suddenly the floor beneath his feet begins moving and he starts walking in place "Hey look at this!" he says, oh I'm looking alright. It's a rather peculiar piece of equipment isn't it? You could walk miles on that and yet never move anywhere! Jack begins pressing the button repeatedly and the floor moves faster and faster, now he's running in place. He's going quite fast on the machine and I tell him to slow down, he glances over at me "I don't know how to slow it down!" he says, pressing the button some more. Finally the platform gets going so fast he flies off the back of it, hitting the floor and letting out a slight cry.

The platform slows and stops without him on it and he rips the clip off his belt, throwing it back at the machine. Jack rolls up his pant leg to reveal a couple of scrapes and bruises from him flying off it. After a moment he finally stands and marches towards the door "Let's go see somewhere else!" he tells me, he doesn't have to tell me twice! I stand and follow him out, although moving causes me extreme pain in my shoulder and my whole right arm, I'm never using a gym again! They're dangerous! We find ourselves at the grand staircase and Jack takes the opportunity to run up and down the stairs like a little boy, he tells me he always wanted to do that, but never got to. As we try to decide what on earth to do on this ship, I notice that it's getting close to dinner time!

Jack and I head back to our cabin and change into evening wear. Jack can't stop staring at himself in the mirror, obsessively fixing his bowtie "Are you sure we're not overdressing?" he asks nervously, I shrug, I genuinely don't know what to expect of this age's first class. And I don't care, getting my dinner jacket on was incredibly difficult because I couldn't lift my arm without it feeling like it was on fire, therefore it's staying on! As I nurse my poor shoulder Gabby suddenly comes into our cabin, still wearing her uniform. She smiles "I just got let off for the day..." she trails off as she sees me holding my shoulder.

She approaches me "So you two were the ones who broke the machine in the gym" she says, touching my shoulder. She sighs "Sit down, sit down" she tells me, I sit on one of the chairs as she takes off my dinner jacket, examining my shoulder. Jack laughs "Wait, he broke it?" he asks, she rolls her eyes "Yea, you broke it. What were you trying to do? See how much he could lift?". Actually, Jack was trying to see how much I could lift, I just wanted to see how the machine worked! She coos to me as I let out a whimper, I want her to stop messing with it! The more she bothers it the more it hurts.

"Alright Thomas, this is going to hurt, a lot. I'm sorry" she tells me. I swallow nervously, should I trust this delinquent to perform medical procedures on me? She has me let my arm hang straight down at my side before taking my elbow and bending it at a 90 degree angle. I feel tears trickle down my cheeks and I wipe them away with my free hand, I'm not going to cry over a little bit of pain. She looks up at me "It's ok to cry Tommie, I know it hurts" she tells me.

Jack hands me some tissues as she bends my arm into my chest, she takes a deep breath "This is going to hurt" she warns. Oh god! I nod and let her know I'm ready and she begins bending my arm outward. The farther she bends it outward, the more it hurts! I can't help myself as I begin to cry out in pain, dying hurt less than this! It did! After she tugs on my arm there's a sudden pop and I instantly feel a lot better! I wipe my eyes with the tissues and the ruffian bends my arm back to my chest before letting it go. "There, you dislocated your shoulder but I got it back. You don't use that arm too much ok? I'll find you some ibuprofen to help you sleep tonight. We've learned something valuable haven't we boys?" she asks, Jack snickers "Yea, I learned if I wanna see Tommie Andrews cry all I gotta do is have him pop his shoulder!". I could punch that boy!

The ruffian tells me gently that I shouldn't go to dinner, but I want to go! I got in my dinner suit, and it was so hard to get in it! She smile softly at me "You can go tomorrow, Jack and I will stay up here and have dinner with you and then we can all go together for the first time tomorrow. How does that sound?" she asks us, Jack rips his bow tie off and flings it across the room "Hallelujah!" he cheers. She tells me she's going back to her room to get me some pain medication and to change out of her uniform, then she'll be right back. Once she's gone Jack begins hastily taking off his dinner clothes and I flick on the television to watch the cupcake show. Unfortunately it's not on, so I'm stuck watching a documentary on Titanic. Jack and I usually try to avoid these because they make us angry, but I suppose I wasn't thinking due to the faint throbbing in my shoulder.

By the time the delinquent comes back me and Jack are on our feet yelling at the screen like we're watching some sort of sports game and there was a bad call. They had the nerve to say that Mr. Ismay was the coward of the century! Everyone knows that isn't true, Hitler! Now there was a man who was a bloody coward! The delinquent herself told me all about him! I don't think that's why Jack's upset though, mostly because I don't think he's been educated on history just yet. I think he's more upset that they didn't portray him accurately, but he should be grateful he's even in this documentary! Most Titanic things they completely forget about him! They just have Bride serve as the both of them! He despises the musical for this reason, it's not my fault I get 2 ballads in that musical and he isn't even in it!

When the girl returns she's dressed in her usual casual wear, jeans and a t-shirt. She quickly shuts off the television and slaps us before handing me two pills and a glass of water. After I take them I decide I'm best off just going to sleep, so I bid the delinquent and her fiance goodnight before going into my bedroom and shutting the door. It makes me a little uneasy that this room looks so much like my room back on the original Titanic, if it weren't for the medicine I probably wouldn't be able to sleep very well at all. I change out of my dinner clothes and crawl into bed, dousing the lights. As I lay there in the dark I can hear the delinquent saying goodnight to Jack before leaving.

It's not long after she leaves that I begin drifting to sleep. I close my eyes, only to reopen them and find I'm no longer on the Titanic, I'm standing in the middle of the street, in Belfast. Well this is very odd, why are there so many people around? Suddenly a uniform is pushed into my arms and a rather hard looking man says 'Welcome to the Cavalry son'. What? Why have I just joined the army? Helen walks up to me, Elba balanced on her hip. She kisses me and says 'Come home soon darling'. I kiss her back as passionately as I can, I've missed her so much! I kiss Elba on the cheek and she giggles up at me "Bye bye Daddy!" she says.

I am given a horse, and as I get in line with the other horses I notice a white stallion with a very familiar person on it. The delinquent! What on earth is she doing in my dream? I ride up alongside her as we ride out of Belfast. She doesn't notice me at first, she's too busy singing along to the military band that's trailing us "And hoorah for the scarlet and the blue! With the helmets a glitterin in the sun! And the bayonets flash like lightnin to the beatin of the military drum. And no more, will I go harvestin. Nor gatherin the golden corn. For I took the good king's shilling and I'm off tomorrow morn". Finally she notices me and stops singing, though the rest of our comrades continue which makes it kinda hard to hear.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her, she smiles "Recruiting! What are YOU doing in MY dream?". How should I know? I was hoping she'd answer that question for me! "Well what's going to happen?" I ask her, she should at least know that right? Her smile fades as she answers me "We're going off to war I guess. I've had this dream once or twice. I usually end up getting killed though" she tells me. Oh, that's pleasant! I haven't fallen into one of her dreams, I've fallen into one of her nightmares!

We arrive at a dock and the two of us get onto a ship, which is going to take us to war. I'm scared, I can't believe I've fallen into this dream! Why did I join the cavalry? I'm a good rider, sure, but to charge Germans? I've never killed anyone before, never even held a sword! Gabby nudges me playfully "Don't worry, I've done a ton of these charges! Remember Mr. Stalker? I bet you were watching!". She's right about that, I remember watching those charges and having my heart pounding in fear something might happen to her.

In the usual way of dreams, we make it to France in what seems like a few minutes. We unload the horses just as quickly and mount them, riding down a dirt road in two lines. The ruffian and Sparks are right next to me, which makes things a little bit better. But I'm still afraid! And now suddenly I'm wearing the uniform that man gave me earlier, but I have no memory of ever changing into it. Dreams are such bizarre things sometimes!

While we ride I try to remember that War Horse movie I watched before with Jack. How did that work, I just hold my sword straight forward and the horse does the rest? You know what? I'm not even going to think about it! The ruffian runs her fingers through Sparks' mane "You know, I wish Sparks could have come to the future too. I loved riding him. He was a dream, my pony at home can't do half the things I've done with Sparks" she admits to me. She looks quite upset over the confession, I know she loves that little pony more than anything even though he can't do a whole lot.

"Are you excited to see your pony again?" I ask her curiously. She nods, though she keeps her eyes down "I miss him, I would have given anything to bring him to London with me. I just couldn't afford it. And I don't even know how he is now, since I haven't talked to my parents or anything". Oh shoot, can't have her upset before the charge! I try to lift her spirits "You know, I bet Jack's never ridden a horse before. When we get to New York, you should take him riding on that pony of yours" I tell her. She giggles and I sigh slightly in relief "Yea, I bet he'd fall off pretty quick. And Rocky doesn't even move that fast!".

Suddenly our peaceful conversation is broken by someone yelling to get into formation because we were going to charge. What do I do? My horse prances under me and the delinquent leans over, grabbing my reins and leading us into position. She looks over at me, smiling cheekily "Alright Thomas, don't let any of the German's touch you. When you hear guns, get down low on your horse. That's your best chance!" she tells me. I'm going to do exactly as she says, I'm not risking my neck! I trust her after doing this so many times!

Sparks tosses his head and we begin trotting forward. I can feel my heart race, I'm not sure whether it's from the excitement of it all or from fear. Suddenly the delinquent pulls out her sword, points it forward and yells "TALLY HO!". I copy her example and urge my horse forward, I can't afford to be afraid now. Why should I be anyway? I was once known as the most fearless rider in county downs! The ruffian and Sparks are ahead of me now, I'm not going to let them get ahead! I'll treat it like a race, the faster I get to the other side the faster it'll all be over anyway.

We charge through the camp, but the girl doesn't slow her horse in order to kill the enemy. She keeps going, urging her horse forward towards the treeline. I kick my horse, trying to get every ounce of speed out of him that I can. Guns go off around me as I get closer and closer to her, this is so exhilarating! The ruffian glances over at me as I come alongside her and she kisses to Sparks "Come on Sparks, I know you've got it boy come on!" she calls to him. The white stallion responds to her instantly, getting ahead of my horse and I. I'm not letting her go that easily!

Neck and neck we charge, we're well past the camp now, and almost to the treeline. None of the Germans have made it here yet, I think I see the girl's plan! We're going to secure the guns hiding in the treeline so that nobody gets shot! But we have to jump over the guns first! I prepare myself for the jump, I wonder if my horse will make it! Almost there, just a few more feet! Just when I'm about to jump an alarm goes off, snapping me out of my dream.

I'm back in my room on the Titanic, the clock next to me reading that it's 9 in the morning. I smash my fist down on the bed in frustration! Damn it! I wanted to win! We were so close! I wanted to know the outcome of that! Oh well, I know one thing's for certain. I'm never taking mystery pills from the delinquent right before bed ever again!

* * *

**Writers block has reared it's ugly head! GAH! I've got a couple ideas, but honestly I can't have them happen until they reach NY! So, anybody got any ideas for stuff they can do on Titanic 2? Don't worry, I've got first class dinner on the list, but is there anyone there you think they should meet? James Cameron perhaps? **

**So yea, That's your motivation to review. The gift shop is closed due to a horrible writers block monster sitting in front of the shop. So yea, IDEAS PEOPLE! I need IDEAS! And um, yea, so that's the reason this chapter took so long and why it's so, bizarre. I just couldn't think of anything. Crazy I know, but true!  
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**Thanks for Reading anyway, REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

That was the most bizarre dream I ever had! I can't stop thinking about it as I step out into the sitting room ready to start the day. My shoulder still hurts a bit, but that hardly matters. I was in a cavalry charge! Suddenly I notice the stateroom is a little too, peaceful. Where's Jack? And more importantly, where's Killian? They're both gone, but I'm sure it's nothing, he probably just took Killian for a walk or something.

Suddenly the door to our stateroom flies open, revealing a disheveled and panting Marconi operator. "What happened?" I ask him, he pants for a minute before finally managing to say "Killian is loose... on the ship... I searched everywhere but... I can't find him!". The dog is missing? What if he falls overboard? I can hardly imagine what that ruffian would do to us if she discovered we lost her precious little scotty, she loves that thing like it's her child! I approach Jack "Does she know?" I ask in a hushed voice. He shakes his head "No, I wanted to catch him before she found out. She's working!" he tells me.

I want to slap him "Do you realize that means she could be anywhere? What if she sees him before we do?". His eyes grow wide "Bloody hell! We need to find him then!" he says, oh he's so bright! I step out into the hallway with him, closing and locking our stateroom door behind us. We don't need Thomas the cat getting loose, or worse yet, her little Canary. We begin walking down the hallway "Where should we look first?" Jack asks. I am really wanting to hurt him, but I control myself "Jack, where was the last place you had him?".

Jack tells me he had him on the boat deck, so that's where we begin our search. We look everywhere, by the lifeboat davits, under benches and deck chairs. That dog has to be around here somewhere! I try not to think about the small dog slipping under the rails and falling 11 stories off the side of the ship, he's a smart scotty! He'd know better than to jump right? Right?

"GOTCHA!" Jack says, I see him grab the black ball of fur. It wriggles in his arms before biting his hand, causing him to let it go. Must I do everything? I sprint down the deck after the dog, carefully trying not to pump into any of the passengers walking around. Suddenly a couple walks out from the grand staircase entrance and the dog bolts through the door between their legs. Jack is right behind me as we watch the dog bound down the staircase and vanish out of sight. I notice him nursing his hand and a glance at it shows that the stupid dog didn't even draw any blood! He just nipped him!

So we're on A deck now, because I don't think the dog went down any other staircases. Where could he have gone from here? We traverse the hallways until we come across the first class smoking room. Or at least, that's what it used to be! Entering the room now, it's been turned into a bar and casino! There are televisions showing horse races, and men sitting at odd machines pulling levers, and there are poker tables! I can hardly believe my eyes! Of course, the room design itself still appears to be the same, the fireplace is still there with the portrait I stared at while I awaited my fate. Being in the room again actually startles me, and Killian doesn't appear to be in here anyway, we move on.

Next room we come across used to be the reading and writing room, which I was going to change anyway, but once again modern technology has beat me to it! They've turned it into a recreational sort of room, and I believe we just walked in on a yoga class. Luckily for Jack and I, everybody is too busy humming with their eyes closed to notice us, so we back out of the room. The dog wouldn't have been able to get in there, so where could he have gone?

A few twists and turns later and we're in the first class lounge. This I believe is the only room that hasn't change, not even a little bit! The only difference is that people are sitting around in the plush chairs on their laptops. I notice a sign on the wall that says free wifi access here, brilliant! As we walk through the room I notice a black shape dart underneath a table! Ah ha! I've found the little beast! I creep up to the table slowly, before quickly reaching under and trying to grab the dog's collar. It slips just out of reach and Killian darts out from under the table and begins racing for another door. Oh no he doesn't! We're not going to spend all day chasing him!

Me and Jack begin chasing him around the room, drawing the attention of pretty much everyone. With a final leap Jack manages to tackle the dog, and this time he doesn't let him go. He smiles broadly "Got him!" he says proudly. I sigh, thank god that's over! Now to get him back before Gabby "Hey, you aren't supposed to have dogs in here!", oh you've got to be kidding me.

The delinquent looks at us, tapping her foot with her arms crossed over her chest, and looking incredibly sour. Jack smiles sheepishly up at her "Hello sweetheart!" he says, approaching her. She rolls her eyes "You are going to get my fired I swear! Get Killian back in the stateroom. And next time he needs to go you call a steward to walk him! Understand?" she asks. We both nod and she waves her hand "Now get lost, I'm trying to do my job!". She doesn't need to tell us twice! We practically sprint back to our stateroom, with Killian under Jack's arm like a football.

When we finally make it there Jack plops Killian on the floor before going into his room, saying he needs a nap. I don't blame him for wanting to sleep, but after all that running, I'm covering in sweat and I'd rather like to wash it off. I decide now is the perfect time to investigate modern technology in the bathroom of our stateroom! I go into my stateroom and lay out a fresh pair of clothes before crossing the sitting room and going in the bathroom. I shut the door and face the shower, the delinquent taught me how to use it back at her apartment and I must say it's a miraculous invention! Much better than bathing, that took so much effort!

I turn on the water and set it to the right temperature before stripping myself of my sweat soaked clothing and stepping in. Finally some peace from Jack, and the ruffian, and most importantly, her equally devious animals. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I might actually take advantage of the Titanic this time around, I wouldn't mind investigating that casino I saw, or taking a book down to the lounge and just, relaxing. I shampoo my hair, rinse it out, then decide I'm clean enough. I got all the sweat off, and now I smell like, I check the shampoo bottle, alright then, I smell like cherries. I'm going to need to ask the delinquent for some better scents than cherries. It's so, feminine.

Stepping out of the shower, I look around for a towel, but I can't find one. Oh great, Jack must have taken the towel last night when I fell asleep. You'd think there would be two towels in a bathroom that is shared by two people. Suddenly I look down, I'm standing on the second towel. I can't help but groan, Jack must have flooded the bathroom last night and he used the spare towel to sop up his mess! That means I'm going to have to go into my bedroom, and hope there's another towel or blanket in the closet over there. I'm not too worried though, Jack's sleeping!

Opening the bathroom door, I step out. Almost there! Just a few more feet! "Oh, My, God", I turn sharply and nearly faint when I see Gabby standing there, staring at me wide eyed with her jaw dropped open. The corners of her mouth twitch, as though she's not sure whether to smile or not. I have nothing to cover myself up with! I try to cover up with my hands but it's too late, she's already seen anything. The poor girl has turned completely red in the face, so red that she'd probably make a tomato jealous. I must be equally as red, I'm so shocked though I don't know if I can move. I have to move though!

She takes the initiative to turn around so she isn't looking anymore. I begin inching my way towards my bedroom, trying to explain "I uh, Jack used all the towels and..." she snaps at me "JUST GO PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!". Although she's insane, there was one thing I gave her credit for, she was innocent! She'd never seen a man's, well, I'm not going to think about it! But I believe I've scarred the poor girl for life.

I quickly make a mad dash for my bedroom and slam the door shurt. I'm so, ashamed! Well, should I be ashamed? I'm not entirely sure what to think. All I know is the delinquent just walked in on me butt naked, and I can already tell nothing's going to be the same between us again. How can it be, after, after she saw, that?

Numbly I use the towel to dry off, although most of the water dripped all over the floor while I was paralyzed outside. When I'm finally dressed I step out, the poor girl is still where I left her standing, only now she's sitting petting Thomas the cat. I clear my throat and she looks up at me, blushing. "I er, um, I apologize for, that you um, had to see that" I tell her, that was a horrible apology. She nods to me "It's, it's fine" she finally says. Suddenly Jack walks out of his bedroom, rubbing his eyes "Why's there a giant wet spot on the floor? Oh Killian I just walked you!" he says.

Poor Jack, he just missed everything. But that's a good thing, I wouldn't have wanted him to see that! Oh I've just ruined his fiance! Gabby stands and walks over to him "It's just water darling" she tells him quietly. He wraps his arms around her "I'm sorry Killian got loose. Do you forgive me?" he asks. She makes some sort of murmur to say she does, and he smiles "Well then, how about when you get off of work we go for a walk around the deck?" he asks. She shakes her head "How about a nap?" she asks "I didn't, sleep well last night" she looks at me "And there's no heat in my room".

Jack tells her she can come sleep in our room once she gets out and she thanks him before leaving. She says bye to me, but she's looking down. Oh god what am I going to do? She'll get over it! Or not, I don't think I'll be able to get over it! Helen would be fuming mad if she found out another woman saw, I feel like crying! I sit down on the couch and turn on the television, the cupcake show is on. Thank god! I need to unwind a little bit! Actually, I need to unwind a lot! The ruffian seeing me naked, the world just might end tonight! We have to go to first class dinner!

* * *

The ruffian fell asleep in Jack's room when she got off of work at 3, and now it's nearly 5:30! We have to report for dinner in half an hour! Jack is too busy fussing with his bow tie, so I suppose that means I have to be the one to wake the delinquent. I try one more time to convince Jack to wake her, after what happened earlier I don't want to face her again, but he waves me off "You do it, I'm busy!" he tells me. What a charming, doting fiance he is!

Quietly, I open the door and peer into Jack's room. The Marconi operator is a slob, his suitcase still lies open on the floor with piles of clothing heaping out of it. Is it really too difficult to unpack? I feel a bit of anger rise up when I spot one of the bathroom towels strewn carelessly on the floor. That boy and that towel have caused me a lot of grief tonight!

"Gabby" I whisper, shaking her shoulder gently. She buries her face into the pillow and I roll her eyes before shaking her again "Come on we have to go to dinner now!" I tell her. She takes a deep breath before her brown eyes blink open "What?" she asks me in a confused haze. I repeat that we have to go to dinner and she yawns "Oh". She sits up and turns on a light, looking me over "You know, you're um, you're still pretty good looking for being 40" she tells me. I huff "39!" I correct, I am most certainly not 40! Not yet!

She rolls her eyes "Oh like it matters!" she tells me, throwing the blankets off her body and sitting on the edge of the bed. She pats the spot next to her "Sit down for a second Mr. Modesty, we gonna have a little chat" she tells me. I'm dreading whatever she has to say, but I obey her wishes and sit stiffly beside her. She laughs lightly at me "You don't have to be upset about today alright? We'll just pretend it didn't happen" she tells me. I nod in agreement, I'd be for the best if we pretended it didn't happen. She nudges me "You know, I have pretty bad memory sometimes anyway" she tells me "In a few days, I probably won't even remember seeing it". I relax, that's reassuring isn't it?

Finally she gets up, standing in front of me "So Thomas, you mentioned dinner?" she asks. I nod and stand, she smiles brightly "Well then let's go meet all the famous people from the 21st century!". Wait a minute, she fooled me! She got me all relaxed, and now she's dragging me to, to meet the first class! I don't want to meet them!

Jack has finally gotten his bow tie just right and he smiles brightly at the delinquent "Are you ready to go sweetheart?" he asks. She gives him a funny look "I'm still in my uniform. Give me 10 minutes to change" she tells him with a peck on the cheek. She leaves our stateroom and Jack and I sit down to watch television until she returns. They're about to announce who won Iron Chef when she returns. Jack looks even more excited, she's wearing the modern version of a dinner dress.

At least it's modest length! Falling to about halfway up her calf, and it's black, not some sort of insane color or pattern! Just plain and simply, black! She smiles and takes Jack's arm, he cleans up rather nicely too! With his hair combed and wearing his dinner jacket, he could have passed for a gentleman in first class back in 1912! I wonder what we'll pass for in 2012!

As we get to the grand staircase, already I'm slightly nervous. There are people with cameras, snapping pictures of us as we head down to the first class dining saloon. They don't seem as interested in us though as they do in the people behind us. Probably because we're not movies stars or celebrities, however I notice with great distress that some people are saying to each other "Hey, doesn't that guy look like Thomas Andrews?". Oh no, this is a ship full of Titanic enthusiasts! What if they recognize us? Will they believe that we are the real people, or will they lock us in an insane asylum for claiming that we're two people who died 100 years ago that got here by time travel and magical shooting stars?

We reach the reception room and my nerves only continue to escalate. This isn't unlike the real Titanic, some of these women are wearing long flowing gowns, similar to what they would have worn 100 years ago. And the gentlemen, they're all dressed exactly the way they would have been 100 years ago! It's eerie how similar this all this! Jack doesn't seem to notice the similarities, and of course he wouldn't! He never dined with the first class, never really even saw them! So what would he know! This is probably the first time he's ever even seen this room, let alone been in it!

Suddenly an older looking man confronts us and Gabby shakes his hand excitedly "Wow! It's an honor to meet you sir!" she tells him. Who is this man? Some sort of millionaire? She turns to Jack and I smiling "Jack, Thomas, this is James Cameron!". James Cameron, where have I heard that name before, suddenly it hits me, like a brick! This is the name I saw in the Titanic trailer! This is the man responsible for, for everything! Jack shakes his hand, and then it's my turn. What to do, what to say.

I decide to be a little devious, I want to test this man! This man who thinks he knows all there is to know! I take the man's hand, shaking it and I proudly state "Thomas Andrews, designer of the RMS Titanic. It's a pleasure to meet you sir". The man before me suddenly pales, as though he recognizes me, and if he's done his research, I'm sure he does recognize me. Jack huffs "Hey! You don't get all the credit Mr. Andrews! I was in charge of the Marconi Equipment!" he whines!

Mr. Cameron looks over at him "John Phillips?" he asks, the young man nods cheerfully "Yep! Isn't time travel a marvelous thing?" he asks. The man shakes his head and laughs "I see, you're actors! Well I must say you've done a pretty good job portraying them. You had me! I mean, it's uncanny how much you look like the real people!". Gabby speaks up "I assure you Mr. Cameron, they are the real people", she's so serious about it, he stops laughing. He stares at Jack and I for a long moment before saying "I'd like proof. Come with me please" he says.

Jack whines that he wants dinner, my stomach is too knotted to think about food. What have I done? We've just given ourselves away! I blame my slightly throbbing shoulder for my poor judgement! James Cameron leads us all the way to the ship's hospital, where he pulls a nurse over "I'd like you to take blood samples from both of these men, carefully label them! And then send them to the lab for a DNA test".

I won't fight, especially when they're sticking a rather large needle into my arm. Jack on the other hand, is frantic as the nurse tries to draw his blood "I just want dinner! That's all I want lady! Please! I'm traveling first class! I'll buy you something nice! Just don't, don't AH!" she got him with the needle. I sigh "Jack just let them do their job please" I tell him. When they have our blood Mr. Cameron tells Gabby to meet him back here with us in the morning, because that's when they'll have the results.

Now it's finally time for dinner! By the time we get there, they're already serving the 2nd course! Jack and the delinquent don't seem to care, they dig right into their food the minute they're seated. I on the other hand, barely touch my food. What will the blood results say, will they say we are Thomas Andrews and Jack Phillips? And if the tests do show that we are those people, people who are supposed to have been dead 100 years, what will happen to us? I don't want to find out, but I have no choice. Tomorrow morning, I'll either be locked up, or made a celebrity. Which is worse?

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**My internet has been acting terrible! It doesn't want me to save anything! Oh well, I just want to go out there and thank my guest. Seriously guest, you have saved me. As you can see I've put one of your ideas to work, and I'm in the process of including the others! So, THANK YOU! ****As to my other reviewers, I love you too!  
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**So, today in the review gift shop we have some Titanic handbags! If you want one of these stylish handbags, then you gotta review! And I suggest you do, I mean, these bags are amazing! They have a picture of the Titanic on them (The 1912 version)! And they come in blueberry, mint, and blood flavors er I mean colors, the colors of the bag's are blue, green, and red ;) So get em while they're hot!  
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	8. Chapter 8

"HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE 100 YEARS IN THE FUTURE?" "WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TO DIE?" "WILL YOU MARRY ME?", all the cameras flashing in my eyes and the people all yelling questions at once, it's giving me a headache! I would answer all their questions just fine, really I don't mind talking about my ship! But the continuous flashing hurts my eyes! Jack seems to be enjoying it though, he flashes big smiles and answers all their questions happily, like he'll win a big prize if he gets them all right!

Those blood results showed that we were the real Thomas Andrews and Jack Phillips, and the entire ship is buzzing about us. We're never going to be able to do anything on this ship now! So much for getting to relax, so much for it! We've been made instant celebrities, and everyone wants to talk to us, ask us questions, get our autographs, get pictures with us! Where were these people yesterday? I'm sure we were still Jack and Thomas yesterday! What difference does it make that we're Jack and Thomas today? That we have proof?

We've been sitting here being interviewed all morning, and now Jack's getting a tad antsy in his seat. I think he wants to go look for the delinquent, but these people just won't leave us alone! The poor lad though, he wants to escape so badly! I think and come up with the greatest idea ever, and he better thank me for this next time I see him "Ladies and Gentlemen, how about I show you around the ship and tell you the similarities and differences between it and the original Titanic?". There are cheers amongst the crowd and I hop off my seat, telling Jack as I pass by that he probably has a good hour or two to slip away then come back!

I'll be honest, it's actually nice going through the ship. I flip through my notebook to help me remember a few small details, but most of it I remember right when I see it. I compliment the ship owner on how close he got it to the original, and also thank them for the modern safety and navigation systems. It's all genuine really, any worries or doubts I had about the ship sinking are gone now, I've been put at ease now seeing all the lifeboats for myself! For indeed, this is the first time I've been allowed to walk freely around Titanic II. James Cameron and I talk like little school boys about the Titanic, he seems to know as much about her as I do, however he was misinformed about some things. I've set him right though, and now I think it's alright to say I might have a new friend on this modern Titanic.

As we turn to walk down the promenade I spot Jack and the delinquent. She's trying not to drop a silver tray of dishes while Jack tickles her. She squirms, managing to toss the tray onto a nearby deck chair before squealing and writhing in Jack's grasp. "Jack! Hahahaha Jack stop! I'm working!" she tries to tell him through her laughter, but her fiance is relentless. She spins around and kisses him to get him to stop, and he wraps his arms around her waist. I can't help but roll my eyes, can't they get a room? They shouldn't be displaying their affections so publicly, especially after we just spent all morning surrounded by the press!

Cameras flash and they break up, both staring at our tour group with wide eyes. The girl blushes, picking up her tray she runs back into the ship before anyone can ask her anything or stop her. Jack just stands and smiles sheepishly "She's my uh, fiance" he admits to them. They all look interested, especially some of the historians and reporters. "She was on the original Titanic also?" they ask, Jack and I both nod "When I dropped into the future the first time, I dropped into her hotel room. She insisted on coming back in time with me. So she did. And well, she ended up surviving the Titanic disaster while Jack and I did not" I explain.

"How did you all come here then?" they ask, I shrug, trying to get off the topic so I can continue my tour. I want to see the boiler rooms! I start walking aft and they follow "You'll just have to ask her yourselves" I tell them finally. I can see an almost hungry glint in their eyes as I say this, I'm sure they will take me up on that. Maybe we should take dinner in our stateroom, that might be for the best. I never liked the press much, and I can tell Jack's starting to get a little tired of them as well, even though at first he thought it was fun.

The tour around Titanic continues, and the more questions they ask, the more aggravated I get. Now I'm really starting to get tired of the camera flashes! However I put up with their questions and cameras because I get to see every corner of my ship, and I'm very pleased with what I see. There are some things I don't quite like, but overall the ship looks either just as it did before, or better than before! The accommodations in third class especially, well done!

Now that the tour is over, it's about 4 in the afternoon. I ask politely if Jack and I might be dismissed for now, and to my pleasant surprise they all leave. A few people who were at the back of the crowd linger, most of them just ordinary passengers who'd heard of us. They ask us for autographs and pictures, and who are we to reject them? I actually enjoy it slightly, talking to less people in a less aggressive manner. When they're satisfied we return to our stateroom, where Killian has left us a present on the carpet and Thomas is sitting on the desk, pawing Ramin's cage towards the edge of the desk we'd sat him on.

"Why didn't you take the dog for a walk?" I ask him, I feel a migraine coming on. Jack scolds the dog before reminding me that the ruffian told us he wasn't allowed to take him for walks anymore. Then he forgot to call the steward to walk him, so he's been in here all day. Brilliant Jack, just brilliant! Jack calls the steward to take Killian for a walk, while a maid comes to clean up his mess. Ramin on the other hand, I take him into my bedroom and place him on my dresser before closing my bedroom door so Thomas can't get to him.

Finally we manage to flop on the couch, and just as we're settling on the couch Gabby bursts into our stateroom, beaming cheerfully "Hey Guys! Guess what" she asks. Jack glances at me, a hopeful look on his face as though he believes I'll know the answer, which I don't "What?" I finally ask. She jumps up and down in place "I just found out there's a gift shop on this ship!" she tells us.

I don't quite understand what's so exciting about that but Jack jumps up "About time!" he turns to me "How come the original Titanic didn't have a gift shop? You know how useful that woulda been?". I take a deep breath, my headache has just gotten worse "There was no room on the ship for a gift shop" I merely reply. Honestly, a gift shop never even crossed my mind when designing Titanic. She was built for luxury!

The two of them decide to go to the gift shop together. They ask me, beg me, to go with them but I have to say no. I want a little quiet time now, it's been a long day! Once they're gone I close my eyes and try to take a nap, but the steward who'd taken Killian for a walk returns before I can finally manage to drift off. The little scotty jumps up onto my lap, licking my face and neck. I run my hand over his coat and can't help but sigh, I miss my own dog, Laddie. I used to play fetch with him in the garden, but he never retrieved the sticks I threw! He always searched for an even bigger stick and brought it back to me.

About a half hour later Jack comes back into our stateroom, a rather large box under his arm "I got you something!" he tells me, a big smile on his face. I can't imagine what he could have got me at the Titanic gift shop! He plops himself next to me, holding the box behind his back "Now I know you've been feeling kinda down lately, but I thought maybe this might cheer you up!" he tells me. I have not been that down lately, well, maybe just a little bit! He pulls the box out from behind his back and I raise an eyebrow at him, what exactly is it?

He pushes it into my hands and I read the front of the box, it's a model of the Titanic, the original Titanic. He hands me a bottle of glue "It's a model Titanic, for you to build! Do you feel better now?" he asks. I look up at him "Why did you really buy it?" I ask him, he smiles brightly "That's why I really got it!" he tells me. I can tell he's lying, he wouldn't just out of the blue buy me a present. I look back down at the box and open it, examining the pieces. It's a decent sized model, although nothing compares to the original model I once had back at Harland and Wolff. Maybe I can make the most of it though, maybe I can make it look just as good as the model I once had!

Jack stands and heads towards his bedroom door "You better not start building it now though, cause we're going to dinner in about 15 minutes" he says. 15 minutes? I pull out my pocket watch and check, he's absolutely right! I jump up and run into my room, changing into my dinner clothes as quickly as I can. By the time I get back the delinquent is standing in the doorway with Jack, ready to go.

The ruffian smiles at me "Thomas, did you like your present? Jack was so excited to give it to you!" she tells me. I offer a small smile, because I genuinely do like the gift, and I want dinner to go quickly so I might start building it "I liked it a lot" I tell her. This seems to make her happy and she begins chatting with Jack as we head towards the dining saloon. The entire time my heart is set on getting to work on that model, I'm going to make it perfect! Maybe I'll add a few things to it, like bulkheads! It didn't seem to have those when I looked, I'm going to make them myself then! And then perhaps I'll weight the little ship so it might float properly! And I'll sail it in New York Harbor! Yes! That's what I'll do! I can hardly contain my eagerness to get started, I feel like a little boy but I don't care! I want to build my ship!

When we reach the reception area I let Jack and the delinquent mingle while I go into a corner. I pull my notebook and pencil out of my jacket pocket and open it, beginning to sketch my model on the page. The more I sketch, the more things I think to add to it. I'll add enough lifeboats, that's for sure! And perhaps I'll make some little benches and deck chairs! And people! I want my little Titanic to be full of happy passengers! Maybe I can make them look like the people I once knew on the ship, I'm not much of an artist but I'll certainly try! Who shall I have on the deck of my ship? Well the captain for one, and Mr. Ismay too! But I'll have him dangling off the back of the ship by his ankles. I chuckle at the thought, wouldn't I have loved to see Mr. Ismay hanging off the side of the ship in real life!

I'm snapped away from my thoughts by James Cameron "What are you drawing there Thomas?" he asks. I look up at him "Oh, Jack bought me a model Titanic at the gift shop today. I'm planning on building it, but I'm going to add a few things". He looks down at the page "Just a few?" he asks skeptically, glancing down at the page I can see I've already filled it, and the next page, with ideas for my little model. I wonder how much that little thing cost Jack and Gabby anyway?

James laughs at me "Would you mind if I watched you work on the ship?" he asks me. He's treating it as though I'm about to rebuild the actual Titanic, and I smile, I certainly wouldn't mind rebuilding her myself. And I'd sail her too! "On one condition" I tell him, he looked at me puzzled, wondering what I could possibly want from him "You have to tell me all about your dives down to my ship". He smiles, and it's not the flashy smile he was giving the press earlier, it's genuine "Of course! Anything you wanna hear I'll tell you!" he tells me. I'm not entirely sure if I want to hear about my ship on the bottom of the ocean, but curiosity has gotten the better of my judgement, I want to know how my ship is after being down there for 100 years!

We walk into the dining room together, talking of Titanic. Once we're seated at the table he asks me if the notebook I'm holding is the genuine notebook I carried around with me on the ship. I tell him that it is, and even take the liberty of showing him the front half of the book. Page after page filled with my old notes, notes that wouldn't make any sense to anyone besides James and I. As I flip through the pages, I'm filled with mixed feelings. I remember each little note, when I wrote it, who I was with when I wrote it. Many of the notes were written during dinner, while Mr. Ismay ran his mouth about the ship I wrote about her.

While James and I look through my notebook, I notice that the attention of everyone is on the delinquent. She's telling them all about her adventures on the Titanic. I feel slightly angry, the poor girl hardly has a moment to pause and take a bite of her meal. She answers all their questions with a smile though, I just hope that she has it in her to tell them enough. If this keeps up, she'll go to bed hungry, and I would be upset with myself for letting that happen. Jack looks over at me and points under the table, I reach over and grasp a piece of paper. I take it and look down at it 'Don't forget to include Bride and I on your little model ;)'. I can't help but smile and roll my eyes, I should have expected this from him!

I show the note to James and he looks up at Jack, trying not to laugh. We both quietly talk about him, and how well he has coped with being in the modern day. No homesickness, no nightmares over the ship sinking, nothing! I wish I could say the same for myself, but my thoughts are completely clouded by the past. I would give anything, I'd even die a third time just to be with Elba and Nellie again. I miss them so much, but things seem to be changing! I have a friend now, and after touring the ship and getting to know modern ships I've decided that this ship isn't as bad as I thought. My heart certainly doesn't ache as much anymore to walk through the familiar hallways.

Looking back down at my notebook, I decide maybe it would be best to put off my project until tomorrow. When I propose this to James he agrees, saying he has an interview he has to go to after dinner. The rest of the meal goes by relatively quickly, and I make my getaway the moment they pick up dessert. Jack and the ruffian have to jog behind me in order to keep up with my pace "What's the rush Thomas?" she asks me. I don't know what the rush is honestly, I just want to get back to my stateroom! When we get there I bid the delinquent goodbye before going into my room. I hear Jack and the girl part, and then I hear him turn on the television. Good, I don't want him in here!

Quietly, I open the box that contains my titanic model. I rip the instruction manual out and open it. I chuckle softly, I can't believe I'm reading the instructions on how to build my own ship. I designed it, shouldn't I be able to build it without directions? Especially after all the changes I plan on making. Oh well, I need something to read anyway, I don't have any books to help me settle down to bed with. So the instructions will do! However it's doing the opposite of helping me sleep, it's getting me more excited! I look at the box, surely just putting the hull together would be enough to satisfy me! There's a desk in the corner of my room, I take the box there and begin laying out pieces, putting them together. The more I put together though, the more eager I get! Just one more piece, that's what I tell myself, one more! I don't even notice the time, I just want to keep building! And build I shall!

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**Howdy everyone! I took a little trip to NYC, but now I'm back with some news. That news being your going to have to wait even LONGER for chapter 9! Why? Because I'm going back into the previous chapters and editing each one! And I refuse to post chapter 9 until I've fixed all of the other chapters! So once chapter 9 finally comes out, I recommend looking back at the other chapters. Because things WILL be quite different! Especially chapter 3, the authors note is going to be changed up for a full length chapter. And a few big things in other chapters will be changed as well. More adding than subtracting, so you'll want to go check it out!**

**Today in the Review shop, we have baseball caps that have the Titanic on them! They come with a complimentary mustache, so that you can feel as cool as all the guys back in 1912 that had facial hair ;P  
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**THANK YOU for reviewing, and reading. And especially thank you for your patience! I've got a lot going on, but I'm going to try to edit as fast as I can, and then get chapter 9 up ASAP! So hang in there, I'll get it done!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

I feel myself being shaken and I groan, I don't remember falling asleep at my desk. I look up and see the Titanic model completed before me. All the little details I'd had planned, all done! I smiled proudly at my little ship, admiring the little lifeboats and all the little people I'd made. I can't exactly recall where I got the material from, but everything is all on there!

The ruffian shoves me, she must be the one who woke me up "Come on you, get dressed. Your fangirls are waiting for you" she tells me teasingly. I sigh, I don't want to deal with people right now. I want to build another ship! She leaves and I stand up, stretching. My shoulder hurts terribly this morning and I'm very stiff from the way I slept last night. Maybe Jack's right, maybe I am getting older. Nah, since when has he been right about anything in the future? I'm in the prime of my life!

Getting dressed and stepping out into the sitting room, I notice Jack looking at himself in the mirror. He's wearing his Marconi jacket, but he has something in his hands that he's toying with. He turns around and smiles brightly at me "Look what they gave me!" he says, holding up the mystery object in his hands. It's a hat, but not just any hat, it's the hat that went along with his uniform! It's easy to tell it's a Marconi hat because it has the M on it. He chuckles and looks down at it, fiddling with it some more "I thought I'd lost it when the ship went down. But look! This morning they gave me another one just like it!".

He turns back to the mirror, putting the hat carefully on his head. The both of us stand there in awe, he looks exactly the way he did on the real Titanic. Every detail, exactly the same! I come to stand next to him, I'm wearing the same clothes I wore on the Titanic as well. It seems so unreal that we could be standing here, the shipbuilder and one of the Marconi operators, together again on the same ship 100 years later. He grins widely "I still look dashing for being 125 years old eh?" he asks, nudging me. I chuckle "Yes Jack, you look fine" I tell him. He begins heading towards the door "You know there's going to be some sort of ball tomorrow?" he asks me.

A ball? Really? They still have those in 2016? That comes as a surprise to me, and I'm actually rather excited! I just hope, no, I pray that it's nothing like that horrible night club the ruffian took us to before setting sail! Well I haven't heard any of that horrible music so far on this trip, actually they have a group of musicians much like Mr. Hartley's group. They play the same songs and everything! Jack and I finish preparing ourselves and step out into the hallway, there's nobody around here. That's strange, didn't the delinquent tell me there were a bunch of fangirls or something?

We begin heading towards the grand staircase so we can go up to the deck. The moment I push open the door I know it's a mistake, a horrible horrible mistake! We're met by dozens of screeches and screams, from girls young and old. They immediately move in on us, an entire pack of them! Jack looks scared, and frankly so am I! I've never been confronted by such a thing before! I think back to the first voyage, the delinquent did this to the officers didn't she? But hers was innocent, these girls look hungry! There's one thing I remember clearly, I told Mr. Murdoch to run, and it was sound advice! I hope I have the same luck!

I grab Jack by the arm and make a break for it, dashing up the grand staircase and out onto the deck. The wild hoard of girls follows behind us, let the chase begin! Once on the deck I let go of Jack's arm and he keeps up with me as we run down the deck. We can't afford to slow down, actually some of these girls are incredibly fast and are gaining! It only motivates us to run faster, faster than we've ever run in our entire lives! I feel like an Olympic athlete!

People watch us curiously as we race down the deck, some people even snap pictures and record video as we run by. But I'm not slowing down for that, we've got to get away from these crazy people! I can hear some of them screaming "MR. ANDREWS! MARRY ME! I LOVE YOU!". The answer is absolutely no! I'm a married man, and I don't even know any of these people! I'm not about to stop and let them know that, I don't want to cause a bunch of sobbing females all over me! They're supposed to have a good time on this ship!

When we reach the stern Jack begins to panic, but I pull him into a door and we begin running down stairs. I reach a random door and push it open, running down the empty hallway. I think we're on E deck! I can hear the girls screams and gaining on us, Jack begins looking around frantically "There must be a place to hide around here!" he says. Indeed, where to hide? I drag him a little ways until I find the musicians room. It's still exactly the same as before! Thank God! I push my way into the room, there are instrument cases, and a piano. Shoot, nowhere to hide in here!

Quickly we scamper out of the room and run further down the hallway, we're entering the 2nd class area of this deck! I look around, there must be somewhere? The barber? No, nowhere to hide in there! I take Jack through a maze of hallways until we reach Scotland Road. It's one big, long hallway, the girls will surely catch up to us if they catch us in this hallway. I think they're still navigating the hallways, but I can hear them getting closer and closer! They're not too far away! Jack and I stop and lean against the wall, catching our breath. What a great way to start off the day!

One of the girls comes around the corner and points to us "THERE THEY ARE!" she shouts. Jack and I immediately bolt down the hallway in the opposite direction, the girls in hot pursuit. There must be some way to lose them! Some way! We reach the end of Scotland road and Jack trips over himself, I pull him up "Come on we don't have time for that" I tell him urgently. We scramble around a corner and practically fly down another flight of stairs down to F deck. We're right by where the squash racquet court once was. It's still there, but of course we can't hide in there, it's just a big empty room!

Jack leans against the wall to try and catch his breath again but I quickly push him, last time we did that we were almost caught! We run down the hallways again, passing the pool and the Turkish bath. No matter how much I zig zag through the hallways, I can hear those fangirls' giggles and screeches echoing not too far away! They're relentless! We reach the third class dining saloon and I push Jack under one of the tables, I hide under a table next to his. I pray that they won't find us under these table clothes!

Suddenly their voices are audible, and they call as though their looking for lost dogs "Mr. Andrews! Mr. Phillips?". I swallow and pray they don't find us. They appear to be just passing through "Where are you guys?" they call. I feel myself shaking, like we're going to reveal our hiding places that easy! "Come out come out where ever you are!" they say, never! Actually, I'm slightly enjoying this little game of hide and seek! One of the girls says something that makes my heart stop though "Check under all the tables!".

Not long after that is said I hear Jack yelp from next to me and I shoot out from under my table. There's a girl pinning him to the floor, I pull him up from under her and drag him along behind me, narrowly missing being grabbed myself. The girls all scream in delight as they continue to pursue us. Jack's face is red from all the effort he's putting out. He tries to get them to stop by saying he's engaged, but I don't think they can hear him over all the screaming!

We find some more stairs and go down them, to G deck. All of this is just storage, not even third class cabins come down this low! That means we have the advantage of even more complex hallways and lots of storage areas to hide in! I lead Jack through several hallways, checking each hatch and storage door I come across. They're all locked! I fiddle with the doorknobs of some of them, but I know it's no use. We don't have the time to dawdle anyway.

We're reaching the stern of the ship again, at least I think it's the stern. From all the up and down, back and forth, I don't exactly know which side of the ship we're on. All I know is I've just found a cargo hatch that is open! I pull open the door and push Jack inside, shutting the door behind us. There are boxes, mountains of boxes. Jack immediately dives into one of the piles of boxes, vanishing from sight. I choose a section not too far away from him and hide. From my hiding spot I have perfect view of the door.

I can hear voices just outside the door and I crouch down further into my hiding place. They wouldn't come in here would they? It seems like an eternity, but finally their voices and footsteps begin to fade away and I sigh in relief. Thank goodness that's all over! Slowly we come out of our hiding places and head for the door. I'm going to check and make sure the coast is actually clear first. I put my hand on the doorknob and to my horror, I can't turn it! No, it opened from the outside! Don't tell me we've been locked in here! I jar the knob a few more times but it won't budge, and now my shoulder hurts again! Jack gives it a try but he can't get it either. Great, either we've been locked in here or they installed a broken doorknob on a brand new ship! Brilliant! I'm going to have to have a talk with whoever is responsible for the building of this vessel!

Jack collapses on the floor and stares at the ceiling "We're trapped forever in here!" he moans. I roll my eyes and sit down with my back on the door "No, we're just trapped in here until either someone finds us, or the ship docks" I tell him. He looks over at me "Yea, you know how big this ship is? It'll take forever for them to find us!" he tells me. Yes, I suppose he is right. The delinquent would search this whole ship for us wouldn't she though, she wouldn't rest until she found us no matter what! After all, her fiance is locked in here!

At least we can finally rest after running around the ship though. Jack falls asleep on the floor and I don't blame him for taking a little nap. I would nap too if my shoulder didn't hurt from my fight with the door. The longer I sit in this cargo hold, the more infuriated I become with the builders of this ship. They couldn't even get a door right? What kind of door opens from the outside but is locked on the inside only? Is that even legal? It doesn't sound very safe to me!

Who knows how much times passes, but Jack eventually wakes up from his nap. We're still stranded here! Wait a moment, don't I have my pocket watch? I reach into my pocket and growl at myself, I left it in my other vest pocket! Great, just great! Jack sniffles "I wanted to go to the ball Mr. Andrews!" he tells me. I sigh "Please, after everything we've been through call me Thomas" I tell him. He nods "Ok Thomas, well I really did want to go. I was gonna take Gabby dancin, you know, since I haven't really gotten to do anything romantic with her. I thought that'd be the perfect opportunity! But now I'm not going to be able to!" he tells me sadly. I chuckle "Oh Jack, we'll get out of here soon" I tell him. Yes, we'll get out of here soon, I'm sure they're already looking for us!

The two of us talk about all sorts of things locked in that room. The more I talk to Jack, the more I think two things. One, I think Jack is a love struck fool, and two, I really miss Nellie and Elba. I'd take Nellie dancing with me at that ball if she were here, and Elba too! She would have loved this ship so much I'm sure of it! And I would have let her play with my little model Titanic, or better yet, I would have built her her very own Titanic to play with! Yes, you know, when we get out of here I'm going to that gift ship Jack and the ruffian went to and I'm going to get another ship to build. Maybe I can built the Olympic, or the Britannic. OR, I can make an entirely new line of ships!

Suddenly the door bursts open and James Cameron is standing there, the delinquent behind him along with some of the ship officers. Tears come to Jack's eyes and he runs to his fiance, picking her up and spinning her around "WE'RE SAVED!" he says excitedly. I stand and shake James' hand, thanking him for finding us. He tells me it was no trouble at all. The ruffian kisses Jack all over his face "You had me so worried! Don't you go running around the ship again Jack!" she tells him. He laughs at her and kisses her back "I won't I won't, but you have to protect me from those crazy people next time ok?". She nods "I won't let em have you! You're mine!" she says.

We walk back up to our stateroom, the officers reporting back to the bridge. I take the opportunity to show James Cameron my ship. I explain to him all my little additions and every detail. I've never really had anyone that I could really talk ships with, especially Titanic. Mr. Ismay only cared about the fact she was big, fast, and luxurious. He didn't care about all the little details like James does. He laughs at me "You're going to have to build it again so I can see you in action! This is incredible!" he tells me. I thank him and tell him I plan on doing another one of these models before the voyage ends. He nods "Tomorrow afternoon I'm not doing anything, would you do me the honor of letting me help you build one of these models?" he asks. I shake his hand and nod "Of course!". Now I'm really excited for tomorrow!

Before James leaves he informs us of some very important things. First off, tomorrow evening the ship will be stopped over the exact spot where the original lies in pieces, and the press wants Jack and I to be there for a special ceremony their going to hold. And another thing, that ball that Jack has been talking about, is going to be held tomorrow night. With a final farewell, he leaves us and I flop on the couch, turning on the Cupcake Wars show. In my mind I'm already planning the ship I'm going to build with Mr. Cameron tomorrow, it's going to be another Titanic. Not as detailed as the model I built last night, but she's going to be able to sail! And I'm going to sail her over my ship!

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**Sorry this update took me so long! All of the previous chapters have been redone, go check em out! Some changes you might notice, some you might not. A lot of it was just sorta changing the order of words. For example, I changed a lot of 'me and Jack' to 'Jack and I'. I actually finished editing those chapters a few days ago, but I've been so busy that I just couldn't get to writing up this chapter! I was showing my model horse collection at the fair, and I sold my pony (Not Rocky, a different pony I had that was a little devil!). So yep, that's what I've been up to. ****  
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**In the Titanic gift shop today, I'm actually out of stock. Mostly because you know, I've been too busy to restock my shelves. So instead, I'm leaving you with a video! Here are you instructions, it's real simple. Go to youtube, type in 'Thomas Andrews's explanations', click the top video. Finally, laugh your head off. Seriously, I love that video so much! I can watch it a million times and never get over it XD So there's your thingy for reviewing!  
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**THANK YOU for your patience, thanks for reading and reviewing. I love all ya people! Next chapter shall be comin soon!  
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	10. Chapter 10

"Mom! I told you I was gonna do this!", the ruffian has been standing in our sitting room talking with her mother for about 45 minutes, and they're still on the same exact topic! Apparently her mother is quite unhappy about her getting on the Titanic. About 5 minutes into the conversation the delinquent put the phone on speaker so Jack and I could hear what was going on. Her mother doesn't sound very pleasant to me "Your obsession with Titanic has gone on far enough young lady! First you come home from Virginia Beach claiming you went back in time with that stupid shipbuilder and now you're on the damn Titanic 2!" she says.

Gabby rolls her eyes "Ma, I'm with Thomas Andrews right now! And for the last time he's not a stupid shipbuilder! He's a great guy! And you know what else? I'm with Jack Phillips too! Haven't you been watching the news?" she asks, her mother says she's been too busy having a life to watch the news. Jack yells from across the room "HELLO GABBY'S MOM!", her mother asks Gabby who that is and she huffs "Mom, it's Jack Phillips. My FIANCE!" she tells her. Her mother gasps "FIANCE! WHAT DO YOU MEAN FIANCE? YOU GOT ENGAGED AND DIDN'T TELL ME?". I can see the delinquent's patience running thin "Yes Mom, I got engaged, and no, I wasn't going to tell you!" she replies.

Her mother shrilly begins yelling at her for getting engaged and the ruffian snaps back at her "It's my life! I can do whatever I want! What does it matter to you! You don't even think he's real!". Her mother begins raising her voice over the phone and the delinquent makes faces and mimics her mother. She hands the phone to me "You talk to her I can't deal with her anymore!" she tells me, storming across the room. Why do I have to be the one to talk to her? I swallow akwardly "Hello?" I ask. Her mother stops mid-lecture "Who is this?" she asks. I smile timidly "Thomas Andrews, designer of the RMS Titanic" I tell her. She huffs "Whatever kind of joke this is I've had enough! Now put my daughter back on the phone!" she says.

What do I say? She won't take the phone back right this second! I sigh "She stepped out for the moment. Would you like to talk with Mr. Phillips instead?" I ask her. She says rather bitterly that she doesn't want to and I sit there with the phone pressed to my ear trying to decide what to do. Jack looks slightly upset "HEY! I DON'T BITE!" he calls. Her mother doesn't seem amused "Is this on speaker?" she finally asks, I can't believe it took her so long to figure it out. I tell her yes it is and she begins shouting into the phone, which nearly blows out my eardrum "GABRIELLE STEPHANIE RO..." the ruffian cuts her off from where she's pouting across the room "DON'T EVEN GO THERE MOM! YOU CAN'T USE MY FULL NAME LIKE THAT!". Her mother angrily replies that she can call her whatever she wants since she is her mother.

The ruffian grabs the phone from me and begins arguing with her mother again. Finally she simply says "Mom, look at the news! Thomas and Jack are real. And you are incredibly terrible for calling them stupid because they are not! When you finally want to believe me maybe I'll talk to you again!". Her mother begins to lecture again but Gabby will have none of it, she huffs, shouts "AND YOU BETTER HAVE COSMIC BROWNIES IF YOU EXPECT ME TO VISIT!" and then hangs up the phone. She throws it at the couch "Gosh I hate her sometimes!" she says angrily. Oh I can just feel the love emanating off of her!

Jack comes to her side to try and calm her "Sweetheart why don't we go for a walk..." she snaps at him "Shut up Jack! Just leave me alone!". The look on his face as she says those words to him, almost breaks my heart. I'm sure she doesn't mean to snap at him, she's just frustrated with her parents is all! It's not Jack's fault! She begins storming out, but she quickly spins around and marches back up to him "And by the way, BY THE WAY!" she reaches into the pocket of her stewardess apron and pulls out her cellular telephone, flipping it open and pushing the screen into his face "WHO IS THIS? AND WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING WITH HER?". The color drains from his face and for a moment I believe he might cry "I... I don't... She... I wasn't" he chokes but he can't get the words out, she looks ready to punch him in the face!

"You know what Jack, if you can't resist keeping your hands off all the pretty girls in the future, you shoulda said so!" she tells him harshly. She reaches to her ring finger and takes the engagement ring off, shoving it into his chest "Jack, I was a young heartsick idiot when I agreed to marry you! I see now I was incredibly foolish. I've been patient with you, I've shown you everything you needed to know about the future! I've let you be excited, and I've been excited right alongside you! I loved you Jack, I loved everything we did together on the Titanic! I loved you until you took your dying breath and until I almost took mine! And now after everything we've been through you repay me by KISSING SOME RANDOM GIRL!".

He kissed another woman? I have to turn away from the argument, kiss another woman? How could he cheat? I don't understand at all, I couldn't even imagine cheating on Nellie! Jack stammers "Gabby, I didn't" she cuts him off again "Don't you lie to me now! I have the picture here in my hand! I saw you do it with my very own eyes!" she tells him.

Her eyes are burning with anger and she finally turns away from him, walking out of our cabin and slamming the door shut behind her. There's a long moment of silence before Jack falls to his knees and begins sobbing "I didn't do it!" he cries. I swallow and kneel down next to him "Jack? Jack how could you do that?" I ask him, my throat feels rather dry. He trembles but won't turn his face to look at me "Thomas I didn't kiss that other girl! I didn't! SHE kissed me! One of those bloody fangirls! She said all she wanted was a picture! And then she ended up kissing me! I couldn't stop... couldn't stop her! It only lasted a second though, really it did!" he blubbers to me.

So he didn't cheat on her? This is all a big misunderstanding? I help him to his feet and then sit him on the couch "Jack, why don't you let me talk with her? While I do that, you should think of an apology of some kind. Why don't you try to court her properly?" I suggest to him. He continues to cry, but he wipes his face with the back of his sleeve and nods "But how do I do that?" he asks me. I try to think, we talked about this earlier on the deck but never really came up with answers. "Well, there are the usual things. Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep..." Jack smiles up at me at my snide suggestion "I don't plan on making her anymore promises I can't keep, but thanks for the suggestion anyway. The flowers and chocolates might work though!" he tells me.

His face lights up slightly "Maybe I can tell her a romantic poem and charm her back to me! Girls from the future like that right?" he asks. I shrug, I honestly don't know! They seem to like music, and poetry is like music but without well, music. Suddenly there's a knock at the cabin door and I walk over to it, maybe it's the delinquent back to apologize for her outburst to Jack! I excitedly open the door in hopes this whole thing can be resolved quickly, but I'm disappointed. It's only James Cameron.

"Thomas! Are you ready to build the Titanic again?" he asks me. I nod and allow him in, I completely forgot about this! Jack smiles weakly at James and tries to wipe his tears away "Hello Mr. Cameron" he greets him. James frowns "What's the matter? Is being on the ship too emotionally stressing for you?" he asks, he actually sounds genuinely concerned. Jack shakes his head "Oh no sir, the ship isn't causing me emotional stress, but something else certainly is!" before James can ask he stands up and heads for the door "I have to go now, goodbye!" he tells us. And just like that, he's gone, off to try and win his fiance back.

James looks at me "What is he upset about?" he asks. It's not really my business to tell him, but I just can't help but gossip to him. I haven't had anyone to gossip with in over 100 years. I used to gossip with Nellie late at night, but she isn't here anymore. So James will do! "His fiance saw him kiss another girl and she broke up with him" I tell him. He winces "Ouch, sounds bad. Those fans aren't too bad on you are they?" he asks. I shake my head "Not so much after the big chase yesterday" I tell him, well they haven't been so bad to me anyway. Poor Jack!

We sit down at the desk in the sitting room, taking out the plastic pieces of this model ship. I am already planning the bulkheads and how to weight it so it floats properly. While we piece the ship together, James and I begin talking casually. He glues two pieces together and says "You know Thomas, I think you need to go to that ball tonight, and you need to find yourself a girlfriend there" he tells me. I nearly have a heart attack at his words "What? Me? But I'm a married man!" I tell him. He holds his hands up "Woah! Don't get defensive! I'm only giving you a suggestion!" he tells me.

I can't help but be curious "Why would you suggest such a thing? I'm perfectly happy!" I tell him. He looks at me funny "Are you sure you're happy? You don't seem very happy to me. There's nothing wrong with finding another girl you know. You know your wife..." I cut him off "Yes I know she moved on after my death. And I'm happy she did, I'm really glad!" I tell him. He smiles "Well then, isn't it your turn to move on? Don't you think she'd want you to be happy?" he asks. I stop and think about it, maybe he's right. She would want me to be happy, she loved me as much as I loved her. But, I just couldn't think of loving someone else right now! Not ever really, I loved Helen! He continues "Jack and Gabby, while they're straightening out the kinks in their relationship now, eventually they'll be happy together. You're the third wheel Thomas, you should find someone so you aren't lonely".

Find someone else, I don't think I could find someone else! I think about it deeply as we continue building the ship. Finally it's all pieced together, we just have to wait for the glue to dry. James stands up "I'm going to go back to my stateroom and work on a script. I'll see you in an few hours when we stop?" he asks. I nod "Yes, I'll be here with Jack" I tell him. He nods "Right, I'll come and get you, Goodbye" he turns and leaves, almost running smack into Jack who's coming into our stateroom. He looks absolutely flustered, but he appears to have gotten flowers and chocolates "Thomas! I need your help! Here, sit sit sit!" he tells me, pushing me onto the couch.

He stands in front of me, clearing his throat and holding up a small card with writing on it "You're the prettiest girl that I know. You're pretty mean you're pretty cold. You can make men feel so low. Sugar nor spice you're mean not nice. Your blood your heart is cold as ice. You're pretty mean or just plain mad. Your thoughts on men are pretty bad. You're pretty heartless you're pretty cruel. At times I feel that I'm the fool. You broke my spirit you broke my pride. Your hate within you cannot hide. Once I heard of what you said. All men not woman should be dead. Your cold cold heart is what you've shown. I've heard it all on your telephone. You're pretty damn mean. You're pretty damn cold. You're the prettiest damn girl. I've ever Known!" he reads.

"Well how does that sound?" he asks expectantly. I swallow akwardly "Well Jack, I'll be completely honest and tell you. That I believe you will have two black eyes and a bloody nose after reading that to her" I pause "You also might lose a few teeth". He rips the card up and throws it on the ground, pulling out another one "Ok how about this one?". Once again he clears his throat. I don't think that's very healthy! With dramatic flare he reads "How do I measure. The love I have for you? I thought, while idly watching. A sparrow sippin' dew. And as I pondered thoughtfully. I gave my head a rub. And then I thought "Oh sod it. I'm going to the pub!"".

Honestly, whoever gave him these poems was a total nutjob! These poems will get him killed! I sigh and stand up, going over to the desk and taking out a piece of paper and a pen. I scribble down the words to Elizabeth Browning's sonnet 43. He can't go wrong with that poem! He simply can't! If he goes wrong with it I will be utterly amazing, and I will have to inform him that there is no hope in saving his relationship! That would be a shame though! I hand him the poem "Study that Jack, and I'm going to do one more favor for you! I'm going to go find that ruffian and I'm going to make it so she doesn't punch you when she first sees you. Alright?". He nods "Ok, thanks" he says, studying the paper I wrote on.

The delinquent's shift ended a half hour ago, so she must be around here somewhere! I start on the promenade deck, and it doesn't take me very long to find her at all! She's standing on the bow still wearing her uniform, leaning over the railing with her head in her hand. I'm surprised they let passengers onto the bow, but I suppose after that movie of James' came out they had to! I approach her "Gabby?" I ask. She turns around and looks at me, before turning back "Hi Tommie" she says. I stand next to her "What are you doing?" I ask her. She sighs "Thinking about what a horrible person I am" she replies glumly.

I feel we've traded places on this voyage, I'm feeling better but now she's depressed! I lean on the railing "Why do you think you're a horrible person?" I ask her gently. She looks up at me "You can't honestly think the way I treated my mom on the phone was acceptable can you?" she asks. I swallow, no the way she talked to her mother was atrocious, but that's not what I'm here for. That's definitely another talk for another day though! "What about the way you treated Jack?" I ask her, she huffs and looks back down at the water. I can tell she's still quite angry with him "He deserved what I gave him! He's lucky I didn't slap him because he was really asking for it! I can't believe" her voice cracks "I can't believe he did that to me! After all we'd been through".

We stand quietly for a moment before I tell her "It was all a big misunderstanding you know. He didn't kiss her, that girl forced herself upon him. And if only you could have seen Jack after you left". She looks up at me again "What do you mean?" she asks, her eyes wide and confused. I sigh "Well, he was incredibly upset..." she cuts me off "He didn't, he didn't cry did he?" she asks. I nod "He cried, he cried a lot" I reply. She turns away and I notice her trembling "Oh, I didn't realize..." she starts, but she never finishes because she starts to cry. Oh my goodness so many tears today! I'm surprised I haven't cried yet!

Gently I pull her into my arms and hush her "Everyone gets angry and says things they don't mean, Jack will forgive you" I tell her. She shakes her head "No he won't!" she sobs. I can't help but smile, and I thank God her face is buried in my chest so she can't see the big goofy grin plastered on my face. I can't help but smile, Jack's going through all this trouble to get HER to forgive him, and yet she's worried that he will be the one who won't forgive. After a few minutes of trying to reassure her she finally stops crying, but she stays against me for another minute or so just to gather her composure. Finally she looks up at me, but I'm back to being serious with her "Are you alright?" I ask her. She sniffles and nods "I'll be alright for now. Of course, it will hurt for a while" she glances down at her bare ring finger "But I'm sure everything will turn out alright". I smile at her, she has no idea.

She turns back out to the ocean "You know, this is where Jack proposed to me. It was so romantic" she tells me. I sigh "I'm sure it was" I reply, I remember when I proposed to Nellie. Oh what a disaster that turned out to be! Finally she turns away from the railing and begins walking back towards the ship with me "I'm going to go clean up for the memorial ceremony. You should clean up too..." we're cut off when we reach the promenade deck by Jack. He is standing before us in his best suit, his bowtie crooked and his Marconi hat cannot hide his hair which is sticking out from under it in all different directions.

He has the chocolates tucked under one arm, while he holds the flowers and the paper with the poem on it in the other. He looks like he's incredibly nervous as he clears his throat and stumbles over the words "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height. My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight. For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's. Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose. With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death" he recites.

After he finishes he holds the flowers out to her nervously, I take notice that they're red roses, which are her favorites. The delinquent stares at him, absolutely dumbstruck. He swallows "Um, Gabby. I'm not very good at uh, courting in the future. But is this enough for you to forgive me? I mean, uh, I didn't mean to make you upset because I, I uh, I love you and, and I really didn't want to kiss that other girl. So will you please um, well uh" he tucks the flowers under his arm with the chocolates and reaches into his vest pocket, pulling out the ring she gave back to him earlier. He kneels down in front of her "Will you please marry me, please?". His heartfelt pleading makes my old heart melt, for her to say no would shock me! Who could say no to his youthful puppy dog eyes?

Finally she approaches him, kneeling down in front of him and taking his hand that's holding out the ring to her "Jack, I'd never dream of marrying anyone else besides you" she tells him. Before he can say anything else she continues "But we need to make a solemn promise to one another right now, that no matter what happens to us from this day forward, we won't break off our engagement or our marriage unless you really do love someone else". He smiles at her and slips the ring onto her finger "I give you my solemn promise" he says "I give you my solemn promise that I will never, ever, not in a million years, love anyone else other than you". She swallows "Don't make promises you can't keep Jack, are you sure?" she asks. He nods and kisses her "I've never been more sure in my whole life. Even if you fall in love with somebody else I won't stop loving you".

She laughs and throws herself into him "Jack I won't ever love anybody else but you either!" she tells him. Them kissing and making up on the deck is starting to draw an audience and I quickly usher the two lovebirds back towards our stateroom. They hold hands and talk with each other cheerfully, I've never seen them like this before!

When we make it back to the stateroom she kisses him one last time "I'm going to go get ready for the memorial, you two should also. I'll meet you back here alright?" she asks. He nods "One more thing, you'll go to the ball with me tonight won't you?" he asks, she laughs and rolls her eyes "Jack I'm your fiance! Who else could I go with?" she asks him. He shrugs "You could take Thomas?" he suggests, she glances over at me before laughing "Nah, let the fangirls have him" she replies. As she walks out she hugs me "No offense of course Tommie" she lowers her voice "Thanks for what you did, I'll never be able to repay you!" she tells me. I smile "Well I didn't want you to end up as depressed as I am" I admit to her. She smiles and whispers in my ear "Cymbalta can help" before leaving. Who's Cymbalta?

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**I'm in a mushy mood tonight can't you tell? Not quite sure why I am, but I am! So anyways, I've been kinda busy. My pony is a bit upset after we sold his companion, but my friend who is leaving for college says I can borrow her mini horse to keep him company while she's away. So I'm currently working on that, and also I have these 2 puppies. One in particular likes to poop on my floor, a lot! So that's a pain! Also of note, I'm going away next weekend to Cape Cod for some more 'vacation from vacation'. Yea, my mom keeps making me go on breaks from Fanfiction. It's really annoying! I don't want a break, I don't like to keep my adoring public waiting! I know it drives ME crazy having to wait for chapters!**

**So anyway, before I leave I will try to get at least 1 or 2 more chapters up! Next chapter might even be up in a day or so, depending. My mom is REALLY set on keeping me away from the computer! She wants me to go out into our barn with her to help her clean it out and look for some stuff. The only thing in it for me is she promised me her model horses when (If) we find them. Honestly, they're probably in really shoddy shape after sitting in that old barn for so long. But who knows!  
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**I have restocked the review gift shop! Today if you review, you'll receive a limited edition My Little Pony that is dark blue, with a little Titanic painted on it's butt. Her mane and tail are colored in the white star livery, Red, Black, White, and Yellow. And her eyes are blue too, you know, cause her body sorta represents the ocean. Yea idk. Also, if you review now we'll throw in an action figure to ride the pony! We got the captain, all the officers, Tommie Andrews, the Marconi guys, Molly Brown, the first class people. Ok you know what, we basically have everybody as an action figure! All 2,200 something passengers! So yea, review NOW! And if you act within in the next 2 minutes we'll throw in a whole set of those action figures! You can pick 12 of your favorite people! And the best part! We'll throw in an EXTRA 2 ponies, one with the Olympic and one with the Britannic! Ya, I'm doing a big offer since I didn't have diddly squat for my last review. So, REVIEW NOW!  
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**THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THANKS FOR READING! Hope you enjoyed it!  
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	11. Chapter 11

I swallow nervously as I look over my Titanic model for the last time. I have tested it in the sink in the bathroom and it definitely floated, at least, I think it did. The model was a little too big for the sink. But the half of the ship I managed to get in the water seemed to float straight! Suddenly there is a knock at our stateroom door and the delinquent is there, with James Cameron. I am slightly shocked by her appearance, she's wearing an evening gown! Like the ones she wore on the original Titanic!

She smiles brightly "Alright boys, you ready?" she asks. I certainly am, I turn to look at Jack. He's pacing the floor uneasily, dressed in his Marconi uniform. He stops and looks up at her "I'm ready!" he says. I can tell he's nervous, I'm nervous too! But it'll be alright, it shouldn't take that much time! And besides, this is absolutely necessary! As Titanic victims ourselves, we both need to honor our fellow passengers who went down with the ship alongside us!

Jack holds out his arm for the girl to take and she takes it, smiling up at him reassuringly "It'll be alright Jack" she tells him. I can't help but think he's still a little on edge after the fight they had earlier. I pick up my Titanic model and tuck it under my arm carefully before following James out towards the bow of the ship. When we get there, there's a large crowd of people standing around. To my pleasant surprise, most of them are in the correct clothing they would have worn in our time period! Only this time, nobody smiles at us as we pass, nobody begs for an autograph or picture. They all stand silent, as though they're attending our funeral. I suppose they are aren't they?

They make us stand in the front, in front of everybody. There's a priest who says a few words before some people begin tossing rose petals into the water. A few people in the crowd make their own pilgrimage to the railing, tossing over flowers they'd brought. The last thing to be put in the water is my Titanic model, before I put it in though the delinquent stops me, tying a ribbon to one of the funnels. I don't understand why she finds it necessary to tie some random ribbon onto my ship, but I allow it anyway. Jack already tossed a flower over the railing, he seemed rather misty eyed. I hope this all isn't too much for the poor lad!

As they lower my little model over the side of the ship, the orchestra begins playing 'Nearer my God to Thee'. I bow my head quietly and stare at the deck I'm standing on. I know we have to do this, but it hurts a great deal. It's all my fault, I should have fought harder for more lifeboats, for higher bulkheads and for her double hull. I should have, but I didn't. And it cost 1500 people their lives, it cost me my own life! A sob breaks breaks me out of my thoughts and I look over to see Jack crying. I feel even more guilty as I watch the delinquent try to calm him down. My ship cost Jack his life!

It occurs to me now just how traumatizing dying must have been for Jack. I died twice, I knew exactly what was going to happen and when, and I accepted it. Jack didn't know what would happen, he like everyone else thought the ship was unsinkable. And then he froze to death in the Atlantic, a slow and painful death. He must have been terrified, and though he hasn't showed any signs of how badly it affected him before, I'm sure hearing this song and standing here with all these people must be bringing back bad thoughts.

Finally the song ends and the priest says a final prayer to all who perished. Slowly and quietly people begin filing back into the ship, I turn to Jack to find he's still trembling and crying. I rest a hand on his back "Jack, it's over" I tell him quietly "Are you hungry? Do you want some dinner?" I ask him. Nothing works better than food to get all those bad thoughts out of his head! He nods through his sobs "Yea" he replies shakily. The ruffian kisses him softly, by now we're the only ones standing on deck "Jack are you gonna be alright tonight?" she asks him softly "We can just stay in your stateroom tonight if..." he cuts her off, shaking his head "No no! I want to go to that ball! It's just" he sniffles "dying was so terrible! To think, that song they just played was the last song I ever heard! I was so scared" he admits to us.

"We're not going to think about it anymore. Alright? We're not ever going to mention that night again. For your sake, Thomas', and mine" she tells him. I find myself nodding in agreement, for all our sakes let's just forget sinking! Finally Jack managed to get himself together, and he takes a deep breath, smiling "Do I still look ok?" he asks me. His eyes are red from crying, but otherwise I suppose he looks alright "You look great!" I tell him. Before we head inside I peer over the railing to see my little Titanic bobbing up and down in the waves. She floats! "Gabby, why did you tie that ribbon to my ship?" I ask her as we begin heading in. She smiles "It was a ribbon I wore in my hair, the night the ship sank. It fell out while I was helping load the boats, and I didn't know what to do with it, so I tied it around my wrist and I've had it ever since".

There are many people waiting to greet us as we make our way down the grand staircase. We have to go down it a few times before we reach the reception area on D deck, which is where we're having this ball. There's a man standing at the top of the landing and he asks us for our tickets, but we don't have tickets do we? The delinquent reaches into the top of her dress and pulls them out, I roll my eyes. I forgot she liked to store things there! The man lets us in and Jack asks her what that was all about. She shrugs "You had to buy a special ticket to get in here. And there are rules, they wanted everybody in period dress!" she tells us.

James Cameron meets us at the bottom of the stair "You made it through the memorial in one piece Thomas!" he says enthusiastically, casting a pitying look towards Jack who is busy examining the fancy carpet. I chuckle "Yes I made it, not sure if that's exactly something to be proud of though" I tell him. He shrug "Think nothing of it! Anyway, I got you a little something to thank you for letting me work with you" he tells me, reaching into his pocket. He pulls out a black leather notebook and hands it to me "Look in there, recognize that?" he asks. Opening it up, I can't help but be incredibly touched. I know this notebook! This was mine! This was my notebook I kept for the Olympic while she was being built!

I ask him how he got my notebook and he chuckles "Your living family very graciously gave it to me while I was making the movie. Reading that notebook though, I must say you were a little obsessive compulsive about your ships weren't you?". I can't help but smile proudly as I slip the notebook into my pocket "Still am sir! Still am!" I tell him. Finally it's time for dinner and we all head into the dining room. We manage to get away from everyone and so it's just the four of us at one table. Jack and the ruffian on one side, James and I on the other side.

While they look over the menu quietly I can't help but look over at the orchestra playing in the corner not far from where we're sitting. They're quite good, if I were to close my eyes I'd think I were on the original Titanic. They play all the same songs that were popular back then, but they throw in a few ragtime tunes which I know for a fact did not fly with the first class at dinner! Not at all! Oh they loved dancing to it, but at dinner it was inappropriate. The piano player is particularly good, I happen to notice. And not only are they good, but it's a female! There were no female musicians on the original Titanic, but in the modern day woman can do whatever they want. I suppose that means they can play piano on the replica of the grandest ship ever built!

A hand waves in front of my face and I look over at James "What are you looking at?" he asks me. I shake my head "N.. Nothing" I reply. He gives me a funny look before telling me it's time to order. I look up at the waiter before looking back down at the menu and going over it quickly. The first thing that catches my eye and looks appealing is what I order. I sigh and I'm incredibly thankful it's only going to be a 1 course meal tonight! James spends most of the time talking with Jack for a change, and I find myself watching that piano girl again. I don't know why I find myself drawn to her, but I could watch her play that piano all night. Perhaps I might go talk with her after dinner, find out her name.

Dinner is going by so slowly! I do everything I can think of to keep myself occupied. I pick at my food, I write in my Titanic notebook. And yet I still can't stop myself from stealing glances at that girl! I need to stop this! Finally everyone begins heading into the reception room to start the ball. The orchestra moves as well, but the girl stays and plays piano. Everyone at my table stands up "Come on Jack!" he tells him, they look at me "Are you coming Thomas?" she asks. I nod, pulling out my journal "I just thought of something I have to write, go ahead and I'll be there in a moment!" I manage to lie. They shrug and leave, and now it's just me and that girl.

I don't think she notices me sitting here, watching her. She switches from playing the music they were playing before and plays a very gentle, floating melody. It's as though she's talking through that instrument, expressing her every emotion through the lofty melody. I finally stand up and begin making my way to her slowly. I can't help it, it's as though I've been caught under some sort of spell! Now I'm standing right behind her, I feel myself trembling as I clear my throat. She stops immediately and looks up at me, her eyes wide in shock "M... Mr. Andrews!" she stutters "Oh, I didn't know you were still in here!" she tells me. Now I feel slightly bad to have startled her so much, I smile reassuringly at her "I'm sorry if I took you by surprise. I just couldn't help but stay and listen to you play, you're very good you know" I tell her.

She blushes "Well, thank you Mr. Andrews! I'm honored that you'd think so". I take her hand and kiss it, tonight is going to be my night! Tonight is supposed to be just as it was in 1912, and therefore I'm going to just be myself! All the way, every gesture and every word! I don't have to worry about modern things tonight, don't have to worry about Jack or that delinquent causing trouble! I believe she turns an even brighter shade of pink after I kiss her hand "You... you're such a gentleman!" she tells me. I thank her for the compliment "Would you like me to play something in particular Mr. Andrews?" she asks me, turning back to the piano.

I shake my head and smile "No, and please call me Thomas" I tell her. She looks up at me and smiles "I'm Madeleine" she replies. Ah, what a beautiful name! But I believe I've heard it before, yes indeed I have! "You wouldn't happen to know of a Madeleine Astor would you?" I ask her, she laughs "Haha I've never talked to her like I'm sure you have. But yes, I know about her. Some of my band mates tease me about it". I feel very relaxed in her presence, I haven't felt this way in a long time! Not since leaving Belfast that's for sure! I can hear the music in the other room and I swallow "Well Miss Madeleine, I know I just met you and this might sound crazy. But I was wondering if perhaps you'd like to go to the ball with me, since I don't have anyone else to go with" I tell her.

How can she keep blushing brighter and brighter? It's amazing! She smiles and begins playing with the cuff on her uniform jacket "Oh Mr. Andrews, I mean Thomas. I'd like to really but I don't have an invitation to go to that and I'm still in my uniform because I have nothing to wear and..." I hold up my hand to stop her "You're my guest, you're allowed to go to the ball with me if I say so. After all, Titanic is my ship!" I tell her. She stands up and brushes out her skirt before taking my arm "Well alright Thomas. I just hope we don't draw a lot of attention, I'm not good at talking to people" she admits as we begin heading for the door. I reassure her by telling her that I'm not very good at talking with people either.

When we get into the reception area, all the chairs have been cleared out. The violins are all sitting in the corner, playing away while couples dance on the floor. Another piano player has taken her place and I ask her about it. She chuckles "Oh, I play the piano all day down in third class and at first class dinner. So he takes on all the other piano things" she replies. Her answer relieves me, if she were to tell me she wasn't good enough to play this I'd have to find whoever was in charge and give them a stern talking to about musical talent. Not that I know much about it, being a shipbuilder. But I think the girl is good and it's my ship anyway!

A few people are staring at us, but I ignore them! I can be with whoever I want! James spots me and looks as though he wants to approach me, but when he sees Madeleine he gives me two thumbs up, smiling brightly. I blush slightly at that, I can't believe I've just taken that man's advice! The band begins playing the Gold and Silver Waltz and Madeleine pulls me towards the floor "Come on, you said you wanted to dance!" she tells me. I thought she didn't want to draw attention? I take her hand and straighten myself up, I wonder if I can still dance. It's been 100 years after all, and even more than that! I can't remember the last time I danced, must have been back when I was still courting Nellie!

We start slowly at first, as I try to find my ground. She laughs gently at me and teases, but I don't mind at all! I thoroughly enjoy her company! The longer I'm with her, the more I find myself just relaxing and having a grand time! Finally I manage to find my ground and I waltz with her easily. After a few songs though she looks at her wrist and sighs sadly "Oh Thomas, I'm having such a wonderful time! But I can't stay. It's almost midnight, and I have to be up playing on the third class deck by 9 tomorrow morning!" she tells me.

I take her aside and kiss her hand "Thank you for dancing with me tonight, will I see you again?" I ask her. She giggles "If you really want to, I thought I was boring you" she admits. I shake my head "Oh no, you were a pleasure! I quite enjoyed your company which is a high honor, most girls of the modern day aren't really" I swallow, trying to find the right words "Well I'll just say they aren't really my type". She smiles and nods "I understand. And I'm sure you miss your wife too, that must be hard. I know how you feel. My husband died in Afghanistan 5 years ago and we hadn't even been together that long". My heart both leaps for joy, and is incredibly pained by her words. Finally someone who understands me!

Suddenly an older gentleman approaches us "Madeleine what on earth do you think you're doing here?" he asks. She shutters to reply but I come to her defense "I invited her here, I didn't know that would be a problem" I tell him. He doesn't seem to care, does he know who I am? Madeleine finally managed to get out "I was just leaving anyway! Goodbye Thomas!" she tells me, before running up the grand staircase and disappearing out of sight. I sigh sadly and find a chair to sit down in. A few other girls approach me and ask to dance, but I politely decline. I can't get that Madeleine out of my head!

They begin playing Alexander's Ragtime Band and I watch as Jack dances with the delinquent. She is slightly lost in the fast paced music but he patiently shows her how to dance and she follows his examples. Ah to be young, and happy and in love too! I may not be young, or very happy, but dare I say it I think I might be in love! But that can't possibly be! That's the thing fairytales are made of! You can't just meet someone and fall in love with them on the spot, you have to get to know them! Oh but I feel as though I've known her a lifetime!

What about Helen and Elba? I can't just abandon them can I? The more I think about it, the more frustrated and confused I get with myself. Suddenly the delinquent picks up a device and taps it, the noise resounds throughout the room "Heyya everybody! I'm Gabby and this is Jack Phillips! Now we wanted to sing an extra special song to our friend Thomas Andrews! He's been kinda down on this voyage, so this song is dedicated to him!" she says. Oh no! What song could she possibly have in store that's for me? Everybody's looking at me too and I find myself growing fidgety under their stares.

Finally the band begins playing and their attention is drawn back to the delinquent and to Jack. "Where is the moment we needed the mooost? You kick up the leaves and the magic is looost! They tell me your blue skies fade to grey, they tell me your passion's gone away! And I don't need no carryin' oooooon! You standin in line just to hit a new looow! You're fakin a smile with the coffee to goooo! They tell me your life's been way off liine! You fall into pieces every time! And I don't need no carryin ooooooon! BECAUSE YOU HAD A BAD DAY! YOU'RE TAKIN ONE DOWN! YA SING A SAD SONG JUST TA TURN IT AROUND! YA SAY YOU DON'T KNOW, YA TELL ME DON'T LIE! YOU WORK ON A SMILE AND YOU GO FOR A RIDE! YOU HAD A BAD DAY! DA CAMERA DON'T LIE! YOUR COMIN BACK DOWN AND YA REALLY DON'T MIND! YOU HAD A BAD DAAAAAY! YA HAD A BAD DAAAAY!" they sing, almost drunkenly. But they haven't had any alcohol have they?

I feel a migraine coming on, but their song just keeps going and going! Honestly, the words of the song describe exactly how I feel about this time period! Every day, is a bad bad day! When their song is over there are hoots and hollers from the crowd, and then they're back to their calm first class act. Jack and the ruffian run up to me, jumping in place "Did you like the song? We've been practicing it since the first day of the voyage!" they announce proudly. I nod and sigh "It was splendid" I tell them. Gabby yawns and takes my hands, pulling me up "Can I have a dance! Just one? And then we're gonna head back to the stateroom" she tells me. How can I deny her just one dance?

The band begins playing Valse Septembre and I take her hand gently, waltzing with her around the floor. She looks up at me "I saw you with that piano player, do you like her?" she asks. I might as well be honest, there's no hiding anything from this girl "Yes I think I do" I admit. Her eyes light up "Oh Tommie I'm so happy for you! You've been so down on this trip, it makes me feel terrible!" she tells me.

As we dance I notice the delinquent growing more and more exhausted. I don't blame her, it's been a long and emotional night for all of us. A glance over at Jack shows he's asleep in the chair I'd been sitting in. The ruffian rests her head against my chest and says something I can't quite make up. I sigh "You have to stay away just a little longer" I tell her as the song ends. I have her take my arm and I lead her over to where Jack's sleeping. She yawns "Jack come on we're going!" she tells him. He looks up at us exhausted before stretching and standing, stumbling up the staircase in an exhausted haze.

We make it back to our stateroom, and Jack kisses his fiance before trudging into his stateroom and closing the door. I am about to bid the girl goodnight when I notice she has laid down on the floor and has fallen asleep. Oh no! She's not sleeping on the floor of our sitting room! I try to get her to wake up but she shakes her head "Too tired!" she mumbles. Even with Killian jumping on her and nipping at her ears she is unresponsive. Sighing, I gather her in my arms and pick her up, she's lucky I know where her stateroom is or she'd be sleeping in the hallway outside!

My shoulder aches as I carry her through the hallways. How can she sleep through all of this? Finally I make it to her room, but I don't have a key! She has a roommate though doesn't she? Oh no, that's right, she doesn't! Because he roommate missed the boat according to the delinquent! I nudge her "Gabby, where's the key?" I ask her. She buries her face in my jacket and I huff "Come on, I'm not standing here with you all night!" I tell her. She finally reaches up into the top of her dress, pulling out the key. How much does she keep in there?

Once we get into her room I turn on a light and sit her down on the bed. I'm going to have to treat her like a child, I'm going to have to do everything for her "Come on, get changed!" I tell her. She has her eyes half closed and she reaches around the back of her dress to untie it, but doesn't even come close. She flops over and buries her face in her pillow "Nope, can't do it" she mumbles. I sigh and pull her to her feet, having her lean against the wall as I untie the back of the dress, and the corset underneath. Although thankfully for both of us, she didn't tighten it very much.

The rest of this I'm not doing though! I locate her nightwear and press it into her arms "Come on now, go into your bathroom and get changed!" I tell her, pushing her towards the bathroom. I can only pray she doesn't fall asleep on the tile floor! Because I am not going to go in there to help her no matter what! It wouldn't be proper, not at all! After about 2 minutes she finally stumbles out, collapsing on the bed. But she doesn't even her her whole self on it! Rolling my eyes, I pick her up and lay her down properly before pulling the covers over her "Where would you be without me?" I ask her. I only meant it as teasing but she actually answers "Nowhere worth being at".

I leave the key on the table next to her bed before turning out the lights and returning to my stateroom. When I get there I check in on Jack, only to find the exact same situation as with the delinquent. He didn't make it to his bed, he fell asleep on the floor. I get him in bed as well, but luckily I don't have to pick him up, I just have to continually nudge him to keep him awake. Finally everyone's in bed and I can go to sleep myself. As I settle down I can't stop thinking about two things. First of all, I can't stop thinking about Madeleine and Nellie, and second, I can't stop thinking about the delinquent's reply. Nowhere worth being, had I changed her life that much?

* * *

**Um, Jack! Jack am I doing this right?**

_**I think so, I mean, Gabby is the one who breaks the 4th wall. I don't know how to break it!  
**_

**I think we're breaking it right now Jack! Look! I see a person!  
**

_***Gasps* Bloody hell I see them too! That must be the reader *Leans in close to the screen* Hello Reader!**_

**Stop it Jack! We're supposed to inform them of why we're doing the author's note!**

_**That's boring, they don't care about that. *Taps the screen* Hey! Hey you! Yea! I'm talking to you! Over here! Wanna see me do a magic trick? Ok, here it goes... POOF! I have a line under my writing now!  
**_

**Phillips stop that! What's the delinquent going to say when she reads this? Anyway, it is my job to inform all you readers that the ruffian and author of this story is incredibly cross with you, and she called you um *Pulls up a piece of paper* Bunch of lazy bums. Whatever that means. Do you know what that means Jack?**

_**Oh! Oh! I'm gonna get rid of the line! Ready? ... 1... 2... 3...  POOF! No line! :D OH MY GOD THOMAS LOOK! I made a smiley face**_

**That's brilliant Jack. I think my line is broken though. Some of my writing has it and some of it doesn't for some strange reason! Alright focus! We have to close this off now. Aren't we suppose to offer them something to get them to review?  
**

_**Nah, they ain't reviewin anyway. Besides, I just did a magic trick for them! They should be happy! OH! But you should probably tell them the other news**_

**Oh yes! I almost forgot! The delinquent is leaving on vacation on Thursday, and won't be back until... *Looks at the calender* The 23rd. But then on the 24th she's going to the state fair to judge chickens**

_**Chickens?**_

**Yes, Chickens Jack. You know, the white birds that they serve up fried now a days?  
**

_**Aw I love that stuff! Especially when it's extra crispy! YUM!**_

**Well we have to go now Jack. We have to report back to the ship. Say goodbye to the reader now!**

_***Waves enthusiastically* GOODBYE READER!**_

**Alright, I suppose I'll have to thank you all for reading this chapter. And I must thank you for your continued support, even though you haven't been reviewing. But that's alright in my personal opinion. No feedback is better than negative feedback right?  
**

_**OH MY GOD THOMAS! PEOPLE REVIEWED WHILE WE WERE WRITING THE AUTHORS NOTE! WHAT DO WE DO?  
**_

**Don't panic! The ruffian will be happy! But we still have to wrap this up ourselves! So let me say goodbye already!**

_**Say it then! Mr. Grouchy Pants!**_

**Fine! Goodbye Reader! And thank you for, you know, reading. And don't forget to review! Or all of this trouble Jack and I just went through will be for nothing. Won't it? Yes, it will! So please review!**_**  
**_


	12. Chapter 12

Thomas was very nice to help me into bed, usually I can do those sorts of things for myself but tonight I was just too emotionally and physically drained. First my darling fiance believing I'd cheated on her, my heart shattered when she handed me the ring back and said it was over. And then standing there on the bow of that ship, while they played Nearer my God to Thee, I felt scared! But that seemed so absurd because, what was there to be afraid of? Nothing! I suppose I was afraid of my own thoughts, images of rushing water and people drowning flashing before my eyes. What a cruel thing it all was!

Oh but I did enjoy the ball afterwards! I taught my sweetheart how to dance like they do in my time. I remember when she taught Harry and I how to dance at that inn in Belfast. That was such a fun night, like nothing Harry or I had ever experienced before! Who would have thought I'd be engaged to that girl, anyone who knew me would have been so shocked. I never got to tell them the news though, I never will.

Tonight I find myself standing in blackness. It feels as though there's ground under my feet, but I can't see anything! I find that odd, I haven't had any dreams since being on this ship. I'm not much of a dreamer at all. But tonight I'm dreaming, at least I think I am! Suddenly a figure begins approaching me, in the far distance. I have to squint a little, but soon it all becomes clear. I know this figure, this person! It's Harold Bride!

He hasn't changed a bit! He still has his hair combed neatly under his Marconi cap, still has the youthful expression on his face, one filled with curiosity and excitement. He beams excitedly as he embraces me "Sparks! Dude is that really you? Oh my God man I can't even believe it!" he says. He was standing there when I died, he must wonder how it is I'm standing here, alive and well. Wait a minute, what happened to his voice? He's speaking kinda funny!

I can't help but smile as he shakes my hand excitedly. As I tell him about how I came to be alive he laughs "Daw, isn't that cute? Her bringing you back to life by wishin on a star?" he asks cheekily once I've finished. It does sound silly when he says it, especially with his new bizarre accent, but it is indeed true! Suddenly he becomes slightly more serious "I'm really happy for ya Jack, really. But dude, ya know I actually did come here for a reason, besides wanting to catch up to my favorite co-operator n stuff".

"You know how your fiance came to us in the first place, remember what she told us? About going through the ocean and stuff? Well I'm here to tell ya there's another portal dude, a door! You can come back in time again!" he tells me. Another way to get into the past? Now he has certainly peaked my interest! I ask him to elaborate and he tells me that there is a house in Belfast that is currently for sale. In one of the back rooms, there's a door that will let us right into 1912, and just as easily let us back to 2012.

Bride smiles slightly "Of course, nobody back then will know about the ship sinking. But if I were you man, I'd buy that house immediately after ya hook up with Gabby. Raise your family there dude, and if either of you ever feel the need to go back in time, well then you'll have the door. But, I gotta warn you dude, it should probably stay a secret. Imagine if everybody found out about the door man? You could have people going back and completely changing history! Which is totally not cool" he explains. I nod, I understand completely, I think! There's just one other thing I have to ask though "Hasn't anyone else figured out this door leads to the past?".

He chuckles "The door is locked, nobody has a key to open it" he tells me simply. I raise an eyebrow "Then how am I supposed to get in there?" I ask him. Suddenly he reaches into his uniform jacket and tosses me a large silver key with a rose engraved on the handle. "Consider it an early wedding present, from your bestest friend Harold Bride" he tells me, grinning widely.

For a little while we continue to talk about our lives. First he tells me about how he has been spending his time as a spirit, 'surfing' in Hawaii. When I point out his continuous use of the work 'dude' he corrects himself and reverts back to the way he used to speak in 1912. Now that I can understand him better, he tells me all about what became of him after Titanic, how he named one of his children after me. "Oh I could never forget you Jack, not a moment. It haunted me. But now I feel much better, knowing how happy you are. Now, I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but I must be off. Do send Mr. Andrews my regards alright?" he asks. I smile and nod "I will. Will I ever see you again?" I ask, he shrugs "Not sure, perhaps someday". With that he turns and walks off into the darkness, leaving me alone once again.

Suddenly there's a loud beeping everywhere and I blink to find myself lying in my bed, with my alarm clock going off next to me. I reach over to turn it off when I realize there's something in my hand. I sit up in bed, holding the object up to my face. It's so early, maybe I'm just imagining it. But I'm pretty sure that I hold that key in my hands! The key Harold gave me in my dream! But it was all a dream, wasn't it? I swipe the alarm off and get out of bed. I suppose I'll just mull over that key until we get to New York. Then I'll decide what to do!

I quickly change into some modern clothes and step out into the sitting room. Thomas is nowhere in sight, I check his bedroom and he's not there either. Perhaps he went out to see that girl again, I'll tell him about Harold later then. Killian paws at my pant leg and I bend over to stroke him "Alright, I'll call the steward" I tell him. He licks my hand happily and I stand, pressing the button for the steward and then going over to the couch.

Once Killian is gone for his walk, I decide to feet Thomas the cat, check on Ramin the canary, and then head up to the deck to see if there's anything interesting going on today. As much as I'm tempted to just sit and watch television all day, I figure I can do that plenty when we get to New York City, or when we return to England.

Just as I reach the boat deck one of the officers bumps into me. He dips his hat, flustered "Sorry Mr. Phillips" he says. Before he can continue on his way I stop him "Wait a moment. Are you fifth officer Harold Lowe?" I ask. I swear on my first life, this man looks just like him. He chuckles slightly and shakes his head "Sorry, I'm third officer Tyler Brown. Why? Do you think I look like him?" he asks. When I nod he smiles brightly "Well I'm sorry I'm not Officer Lowe, really I am. I heard he was a great man! I very much aspire to be like him you know! Anyway, I have to be going, got a few errands to run. It was nice meeting you though!" he says. I smile "Nice meeting you too" I say. With that he's off heading in the opposite direction.

I continue my stroll, but there's not really anything of interest up here. Except the fact that, well, there are no lifeboats on the boat deck! Where are they? Not even the davits are here? Suddenly I catch sight of my fiance cleaning up after some people who'd taken breakfast on deck and I race to her, grabbing her by the arm "Gabby where are the lifeboats?" I ask, almost in a panic. She smiles at me and gives me a peck on the cheek "Oh don't worry darling, there are a ton of lifeboats!" she assures me. Yes that's nice but WHERE ARE THEY? Anyone can say there are lifeboats on the ship, but that doesn't mean anything to me unless I see for myself! They said there were plenty of lifeboats on the original Titanic didn't they? Guess who froze to death?

She sighs "I suppose I have a minute to show you. Come on" she says, taking my hand and bringing me inside. She takes me down two flights of stairs and then through a door that says 'emergency only'. When she opens the door I'm greeted by stacks upon stacks of bright orange lifeboats! There are far too many to count, she smiles "I'm surprised Thomas hasn't complained about this yet seeing as it makes the Titanic not exactly like the original one, but they added another level to Titanic II. They've called the 'safety level'. It's got nothing but lifeboats! In the event of an iceburg, we can load everybody on these boats and be safely away" she explains.

They changed things on the Titanic? That's so odd "Is there anything else not identical?" I ask her. She thinks for a moment "Well I'm sure you've seen the inner changes. Obviously the cabins have slightly different modern things, there's no marconi room, third class is a bit better, and a lot of the paneling that looks like wood, is actually made of a different fire retardant material. I think the only outside change to the ship is a slightly wider bow, and bigger propellers and a bigger rudder. Of course, most of these things you can't even see outside. So aside from these ugly orange things and the altered bow, on the outside she looks exactly the same. And of course other things, any rooms that originally had carpet, have the exact same carpet, right down to the weave. And the chandeliers, the walls and ceilings. Most everything that can be just like the old one is, just like the old one" she explains.

Most of those things make sense to me, except one thing, the wood. Some of the wooden paneling isn't wood? Does that mean the grand staircase isn't made of wood at all? When I ask her she laughs "I think there were a few battles about that. I believe the first set of stairs is actual wood. You know, the staircase directly under the glass dome? But the rest is probably made of that other stuff. There are really strict rules about how much wood is allowed to be used on the ship. And rules about the boats too, they can't be a certain height above the water" she taps one of the boats with her hand "That's why they're down a few levels lower".

Before I can ask more questions she leads me out of the room and begins leading me back upstairs, right back on deck where she'd been cleaning up "I'm sorry I can't explain more to you, but I have work to do!" she tells me. I kiss her gently, then remember I wanted to tell her about that dream I had last night! I'll have to tell her later though "Meet me at my stateroom when you get off work?" I ask. She laughs "Of course, don't I always meet you there?" she asks. Well, yes I suppose she does. But it doesn't hurt to make sure does it?

With that she picks up the dishes and silverware before disappearing into the ship. I'm alone again! There must be something to do on this ship though! Sighing, I turn and begin once again heading down the deck. I wonder if Mr. Andrews is having a more eventful day than I'm having! I certainly hope so!

* * *

**Short, not really funny chapter. Why? Well the main reason is I'm just exhausted! Going on Vacation made me more tired believe it or not! Got up earlier, and went to bed later, and did a LOT more during the day than I usually do! So now that I'm back, I'm going to take just another day or so to rest and then I promise I shall be back to posting chapters frequently. **

**I suppose while I'm doing announcements I might as well share this. I am going back to school in 2 weeks time. My goal is to have this fic completed by then, or at least soon after. Once it is done, I will only be doing one-shots and stuff for Titanic because well, I need to focus on my school work for once! Also, I think I've basically written all I can write here. I'm gonna head over to a different fandom (War Horse). Now I mention this other fandom because I am considering 1 final big project for this year. Now mind you it would be a very slow project, probably only updated on weekends and stuff! But it is worth considering. **

**So, if you remember the epilogue from The Grand Misadventure, you know that Gabby joined the British cavalry in WW1, an action that was inspired by the movie War Horse. My 'project' would be writing of Gabby's WW1 adventures in that fandom. Of course, it will be set in the War Horse fandom, with characters from there. But there is actually quite a bit of freedom with it, as it is another historically based movie like Titanic. Jack and Thomas will not be there (Though they will most likely be mentioned often), which means the POVS will have to be from Gabby's perspective. Which, could be an interesting little venture. But I leave it up to you guys. Would you want to see that fic? Cause if you aren't interested, I ain't gonna bother writing it! I'll just write other stuff for War Horse ;)  
**

**No gift shop today, because I left you with the thingy to consider above. Ok, I'm going to bed now! I think I've just about said everything there is to say! OH wait, one more thing! I'm just answering the Titanic II questions right now. Anything I've said about the Titanic II's plans before this chapter, are NOT REAL! You know, the Casino and all that stuff. I don't have the plans to that ship, and it hasn't been announced. All that has been announced it that the ship will be 'modernized'. So, I did my own take on 'modernizing' it. However, since I've put in so much guesswork on it, I put it a lot of FACTUAL stuff about Titanic II in this chapter. The bow, the lifeboats, the 'safety level' have all been announced. Only thing that hasn't been announced is the woodwork, but there is a fire prevention law stating that they can't have a high amount of wood used on interiors (It was one of the things that prevented a replica in 2006 to be built) so that means they'll have to change something! Anyway, this was the 'fact' chapter, anything else concerning Titanic II's interiors, disregard. Who knows, maybe I'll rewrite this fic in 2016 when we have the info about the ship's layout and interiors!**

**THANKS FOR READING! And thanks for your patience and support and reviews! You guys are all amazing! thank you Thank You THANK YOU!  
**


	13. Chapter 13

I don't understand why Jack has been so bored the past couple of days. He's been just sitting around and watching television. Has he really seen all there is to see on this ship? This ship is absolutely huge! He probably didn't even get to see half of the original Titanic, and now he's turning down the chance to get to see it all? Well, I probably shouldn't be talking too much, I haven't exactly been touring the ship every single day like I used to do. No, I've been doing the exact same thing for days.

At the start of my day, I get up before Jack and go down to the dining saloon to get some breakfast. Usually at breakfast James is there, but once or twice he hasn't been. In that case, I ate with whomever invited me to their table first. All in all, there are some very charming and witty people on this ship, a pleasant change from the deranged lunatics who keep badgering me for autographs and photos and my underwear. Yes, I've had a girl ask if they could have my underwear! I told them no, and then proceeded to slip away when they weren't looking.

After breakfast, I would go to the third class area on the deck. Much like the original Titanic, this place is always packed! Children running around, ducking under benches and hiding behind poles while the adults all sat around, talking with each other or doing other activities. There was a piano there, and my new found friend Madeleine played ragtime tunes on it all day long. I would sit on the bench closest to her and while she played we'd talk to each other about all kinds of things! I never felt I could open up to anyone like I opened up to her!

Yesterday was our last day together though, today we're docking in New York and we have to go our separate ways. She wrote down her address for me, saying "Write to me". When I get settled down someplace write I shall! I wonder if mail travels faster in 2016, I hope it does! I don't think I have a romantic future ahead of me with Madeleine, I'll never do that to Helen, but she's still a very good friend.

"Thomas, have you ever been to New York?" Jack asks me as he drags his suitcase out of his bedroom. I nod "I was there for a little while after Olympic's maiden voyage. I didn't really sight see, I stayed on my ship. Have you?" I asked. He nods "Lots of times! I bet it's really different now! But I've seen the Statue of Liberty more times than I can count, and I believe it'll still be there waiting for us! Come on, let's go up on deck and see!" he says.

The two of us walk up to the boat deck, where everybody on this ship must be! They're all looking at New York, cheering wildly and yelling at the people who are on shore. We manage to push our way to the railing, the Statue of Liberty is still there just as it was before! However, the city that greets us is much different than what once was. For starters, the buildings are absolutely huge! All of them hundreds of feet above our ship! My grand ship, the largest moving object in 1912, is dwarfed by the city! And there are other ships in the harbor that are just as big as my ship, one looks even bigger! How could that possibly be so?

As we get closer to the dock, people on shore begin yelling louder and louder. Is every citizen of the city standing there? I can't even see the street there are so many people! Cameras flash, and people hold up banners that say 'Welcome Titanic'. There are people with megaphones yelling questions from barges in the harbor. I watch as we pass by Ellis Island, don't immigrants have to go there anymore? Well it's probably for the best that they don't have to, I didn't like the looks of that place when I first laid eyes on it in 1911.

"Mr. Thomas Andrews and Mr. John Phillips please disembark immediately after the ship docks!" someone orders over a megaphone. I can't help but shake my head, of course we're not going to disembark immediately when the ship docks. Do they think us to be stupid? We'll be mobbed! And besides, we have to wait for the delinquent! She has to stay on the ship with the rest of the crew until everybody is off the ship! As the ship begins docking I grab Jack and we push our way back inside, heading back down to our stateroom. It's rather quiet in the hallways now, which is a relief! It means we're officially safe, for now!

Back in our stateroom, I begin getting the animals ready to get off the ship. Killian is easy enough, I just clip his leash on, and Ramin is even easier than that! I just have to set his cage next to our things! Thomas however, puts up a hell of a fight, and a chase, before letting me stuff him into his carrier. And once he's in there he meows pitifully, I won't fall for his tricks again though! He's in that cage and he's staying there!

As we get the last of our things ready to go James comes in the room "Well Thomas, Jack, did you enjoy your maiden voyage on the new Titanic?" he asks. Jack nods "Was much more enjoyable than the first voyage that's for sure!" he says cheerfully. We talk for a few more minutes before he tells us he has to go speak with the press. With a final few goodbyes he disappears down the first class corridor, and leaves us to go look for our delinquent.

Jack and I head down to her cabin, only to find the door wide open but with no delinquent in sight. That's odd, we continue our search. She's not on this deck at all, we comb through a few more decks before we finally hear something coming from the third class general room. Opening the door, we're met by the wildest, yet most historically accurate, party I've ever seen in my entire life! It's like those parties I used to hear about the third class throwing on the original Titanic, with the music and everything! The only thing different here is, it's not the steerage passengers that are partying, it's the crew!

The ruffian stands up on a table, a beer bottle in her hand "Oh my GOD! Look who decided to show up!" she calls. Everybody in the room cheers excitedly and suddenly I regret coming in here! But maybe it won't be so bad, I mean, at least the music is lively! Jack is immediately swept onto the dance floor by his half drunken fiance and I manage to slip over to a table where some boys are playing a round of poker. One of their players however is taken away from the game by a blonde maid. They look to me "Mr. Andrews, how about a round or two?" they ask me, what have I got to lose? I sit down "Let me show you boys how a real man plays" I tell them.

I must say, I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. The whole atmosphere is lively, yet relaxed at the same time. I manage to win a few games of poker before the boys decide to switch to arm wrestling. I decide not to partake in that, mostly because my shoulder is still healing and I'd rather not hurt it again. I scan the crowd and see Jack and the ruffian sitting at a table across the room. Well, Jack's sitting at the table, the delinquent is sitting on his lap kissing him passionately. I roll my eyes, they need to get a room! If they take things a step farther their clothing will be flying off!

Oh my dirty mind, I've been hanging around these modern people for too long. They've put my perfectly innocent thoughts right into the gutter. I remember when I used to think about boat davits, and what I was going to have for dinner! I'm drawn out of my thoughts by someone tapping me on the shoulder "Tommie, when did you show up?" they ask. Oh thank goodness! It's Madeleine! I smile at her "Not too long ago, Jack and I came to see if his fiance was ready to get off the ship, I can see she's not" I tell her. She looks over at them and laughs "Oh, well let them have their fun. Here, you want to dance?" she asks. I take her hand "I should be the one asking you to dance" I tell her. Once again she giggles "This is the 21st century you know, things are a little different". I make a mock shocked face "Really? I had absolutely no idea!" I tell her.

She gives me a funny look "How much have you had to drink?" she asks me. I think for a moment, that poker game was all sort of a blur because I was really determined to win, I'm pretty sure I only drank a bottle though! Maybe that's why my mind is a little bit off. I begin leading Madeleine around the dance floor in time to the music "Why aren't you guys listening to 'modern music'?" I ask her curiously as we dance. She shrugs "Well because it's more fun to have a live band! And this music is easier to dance to than the stuff in first class" she explains. Oh, well I suppose that makes sense!

Who knows how much time passed, but by the time the crew have finished their party and have picked up the mess, it's dark out! Gabby and Jack stumble alongside me as we disembark down the ramp. There's not a soul around the harbor at this hour waiting for us! Even though I'm sure she's drunk out of her mind, she manages to get a taxi and tell them where to take us. When we arrive at the hotel she tells us to stand near the door with our luggage while she gets a room. Jack looks to be falling asleep on his feet, and his speech is slightly slurred as he says "This place is nice ain't it?". I merely nod and say "Yes Jack, it's lovely".

Finally she returns and we head up to the room. I'm not drunk, not as drunk as Gabby and Jack though. Looking at the clock on the wall in our room, it's nearly 2 in the morning! Gabby flops onto the bed "I think Imma go to sleep now" she tells us. Jack nods and hops into bed with her, I clear my throat and he whines "Oh come on Thomas! We aren't going to do anything I swear!" he tells me, holding his hands up. I don't really believe him for some reason, but considering the girl is already knocked out, I suppose they probably won't do anything tonight.

I take my shoes off, but don't bother changing any further than that, I'm too exhausted to unpack my suitcase and look for sleepwear! Crawling under the covers, I'm just about to drift off to sleep when Killian jumps on me and decides to curl up on top of me. Alright, that's fine I suppose. I begin drifting off again but then Thomas the cat jumps up onto my bed, gets on my head, and begins clawing my scalp. I sigh, I'm really not in the mood to deal with this. Ignoring the cat tearing my head apart, I finally manage to fall asleep. I just hope the hotel doesn't charge us extra over the bloodstained pillows.

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**Short chapter for 2 important reasons. One, my wifi is being completely unreasonable and stops working every other minute. And the second being, today is a very, very important day. It's the 1 year anniversary of an event simply known as 'The Flood'. Now you're probably wondering what exactly 'The Flood' is, well, I'll tell you!**

**Basically, 1 year ago today, Hurricane Irene swept through the eastern United States. I'm sure you heard about it, but what you probably didn't hear about was the chaos and destruction it caused to upstate New York, which is where I live. The hurricane caused the creek that runs through our valley to flood, and this is what destroyed the place that I live. Now, let me give you a few facts. **

**-After the flood, there was $30 million worth of damage in my town alone. And this isn't exactly what you'd call a big town either. This town is so small, if you blink you just might miss it! Right after the 'now entering' sign is a sign that says 'now leaving'. No joke!  
**

**-Why so much damage? Well, 80% of the town was under 4-8 feet of water during the flood **

**-Many homes were completely swept away, and my mom just admitted to me today that she loaned a friend of hers WW1 diaries hand written by my great grandfather, with drawings and everything. Museum worthy pieces, well that guy's house got swept down the creek and the diaries were lost. They were priceless and cannot be replaced, similar things happened to other people.  
**

**-A historic landmark, the Old Blenheim Bridge, which had the longest span of any surviving single-span covered bridge in the world, was completely wiped away in the flood. This bridge was also one of only 6 of it's kind, having 2 lanes in it.  
**

**Now why are we celebrating today, I mean, that sounds like a horrible tragedy! Well for starters, nobody died! Huzzah! And the other reason we're celebrating is, well everybody is still here! All the businesses in town have reopened or are in the process of reopening. We've pulled through the crisis, and everything is almost back to normal when we were all so sure, that things would never ever be the same again! Of course, there are some things that will never be the same. Houses that were torn down, priceless things that can never be gotten back. But those are material things, we still have each other, and in fact the flood helped us all join together and we've become an incredibly close, tight knit community! So, that is why we celebrate today!  
**

**As always, please review! Today in the gift shop we have a remote control Titanic (The 1912 version). You can drive it in your pool, your lake, the ocean, where ever the heck you wanna drive it! But you only get one if you review! SO DO IT PEOPLEZ! Or don't, whatever makes you happy! Thanks for Reading! And thank you for your patience! Due to the whole wifi thing, new chapters will take a little longer than usual!  
**


	14. Chapter 14

"Thomas! Thomas wake up I need help!" someone calls to me. I roll over and try to swat them away "Go away Jack, whatever it is I'm sure you can handle it" I tell him. He starts shaking me "Mr. Andrews please! I don't know what to do!" he tells me. I sigh and sit up, half awake "Alright Jack what's the problem". Suddenly I realize he's standing in front of me without a shirt on. I rub my eyes to make sure I'm not imagining things, but I'm not.

He promised he wouldn't do anything "Jack! I thought you promised me last night you wouldn't do anything with her!" I scold him. His eyes widen "What? I didn't do anything with her I swear!" he tells me. I point out the fact that he's not wearing shirt "I'm not wearing a shirt because Gabby threw up on it last night!" he retorts, looking irritated. Oh, well that changes everything doesn't it? I apologize before standing up "Well where is she?" I ask him. He points to the bathroom where I can hear the poor delinquent heaving.

I go over to the bathroom door and stand, watching her. She looks absolutely miserable bent over the toilet. I call to her "Gabby? Are you alright?" I ask her. She doesn't look up at me but she shakes her head, shivering "Thomas, I didn't mean to get drunk" she finally manages to whimper. She sounds so young, like the 16 year old girl I remember on the original Titanic. I approach her and kneel down next to her, putting my hand on her back "It's alright, you'll just have to lay low for now" I tell her.

She shakes her head "I can't, not today. They're downstairs waiting for us!" she tells me. I raise an eyebrow "Who?" I ask. She can't answer me as she heaves into the toilet again, she must have been doing this all morning because she's hardly vomiting anything now. After a moment she recovers and looks up at me "The press Thomas! They want to talk to us, since they didn't get to tomorrow. The hotel called me this morning, there's going to be a press conference this morning, down in the hotel's ballroom. We have to go!" she tells me.

"You're not going anywhere" I tell her. She shakes her head "I have to go Thomas, they want all three of us. I'll take some aspirin, I think I'm done puking now!" she tells her. Her voice still hasn't risen above a childish whimper and I raise my hand to her forehead, she's not just hungover but she is feverish! I gently help her up but she can hardly stand "You're clearly in no condition to go anywhere" I tell her. Jack comes to the door and helps me with his fiance. We get her into bed and he sits beside her, tucking her in.

He tells her to rest but she shakes her head "Jack really, we have to go!" she insists. He shakes his head "Don't worry sweetheart, Thomas and I are adults! We'll go to the press conference, and then we'll be right back up here to take care of you. I promise!" he tells her. She still doesn't look convinced, but she's trembling so much that I don't think she wants to get out of bed anyway. I go to the bathroom and grab a washcloth, soaking it with cold water before wringing it out and returning.

As I placed it on her forehead she shivered "Thomas I'm cold" she whimpered. I pulled the blanket up on her a little higher "I know, we'll be back soon" I tell her. Jack kisses her cheek before the two of us get changed quickly and head downstairs to greet the masses. I'm a little nervous, but I'm sure Jack and I will be alright. We're adults after all, even though we're not exactly 21st century savvy yet, we're getting there!

When we enter the ballroom cameras flash, only unlike the press on the Titanic 2, there are twice as many reporters but they are definitely more civilized than the others were. Jack and I sit behind a desk and everyone sits down. Jack looks nervous, but he smiles and says "So, you want to ask us some questions don't you? What questions do you have for us?" he asks. He makes it sound almost like a challenge, and the press accept it, all raising their hands and trying to get our attention.

I point to one random person and they stand up, holding some sort of small black device "Mr. Andrews, what are your thoughts on modern shipbuilding?" she asks before holding the device towards me. I smile politely "I'm sorry to say that I have not been on any modern ships. However, the modern elements added to the new Titanic were beyond anything I would have imagined 100 years ago and I'm more than pleased" I reply. Alright, that was an easy question, it's a relief to know we're all going to be civil adults here. As long as nobody asks for my undergarments I believe we will have a fine time with this press conference!

Suddenly Jack points to another reporter, the first one sits and this man stands up, with a similar black device "John Phillips, do you plan on getting yourself a cell phone?" he asks. Jack chuckles "First of all sir, I'd like to say that everyone calls me Jack. Second of all, I do plan on getting myself a cellular telephone. It's a marvelous invention, and I much prefer it over sending Morse code. My hand got tired after tapping for a while, you know? And it was terribly difficult to say long phrases when each letter by itself had at least 2 to 4 dots or dashes. So yes, I'd say I'm planning on getting a cell phone!" he replies. Ah, well said Jack! I'm slightly surprised by the way he said that actually, it was very adult, it was very, how can I put it, very much like the old Jack on the Titanic.

Next question is directed at both of us, and it was asking what we plan on doing since we are jobless. Jack answers first "I'm not sure what I'd like to do, especially considering there are no such thing as telegraph operators anymore. However, I do think I'd like a job that let's me travel. Not too far from home of course!" he says. Of course, the ruffian would kill him if he strayed too far from home! Luckily she probably won't be doing much of anything for a while. Then again, that might not be so lucky! I quickly answer that I'd like to be a ship designer again, because I thoroughly enjoyed my job and I didn't really have any other skills.

Another reporter stands up "What were you thinking when you died on the Titanic 100 years ago?" they ask. Oh great, I see how they've played it! They asked us all the nice questions first, and now they're going to get right into the sore questions that we don't even want to think about. Already I can see Jack getting slightly upset, but he swallows it back and puts on a brave face for the cameras "I was thinking about my fiance, how I'd never get to introduce her to my family back home, or get to marry her. I was wondering how it could be that the ship they said so surely could not sink, had sunk. And I wondered what might happen to my coworker Harold Bride, and to my fiance. And then, for a brief moment, one of my final moments. I thought about Mr. Andrews here, I wondered what happened to him, and I wished God might be with him that night. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have met my fiance" he admitted. He thought about me in his last moments? He hardly knew me then!

Now it was my turn to answer their question, and my heart aches slightly thinking about it. But I do know my answer "Well, unlike Jack. I have recollections of dying on the Titanic twice. The first time as it was, and the second time with my friend from the future. The first time, I thought about my wife and little girl back at home. The entire voyage I'd wanted nothing more than to return home to them as soon as possible, but I knew once Titanic's fate was sealed, that I would never return to them. And then I wondered, right before the water came in, I wondered what the world would say when the unsinkable ship sank. I hoped that perhaps the board of trade rules would change, to allow enough lifeboats and more safety things. I didn't want such a thing to happen again".

I smiled slightly "I thought about perfecting my ship right to the end, and I still think about perfecting her. The second time around I thought a little more differently. I knew what would happen when the water came in, and so I thought of my dear friend from the future. I hoped she would find Jack and they would survive together. She had her heart set on marrying him, even though she was supposed to go down with the ship alongside me so she could return to her own time. My final thoughts were how I wouldn't change a thing that happened to me. For I had the chance to save myself the second time around. But if that ship sank 100 times over, I would stand in the smoking room every single time. The ship was my responsibility, it was my duty to give up my seat to someone else so that they might live" I told them.

A few reporters fell silent, some of the women had tears in their eyes. I merely sighed "Are there any other questions we might answer?". Oh yes, they had lots of questions to follow. 'Who was your favorite passenger on board besides yourselves and your friend?' 'What was your favorite meal on the original Titanic?' 'What did you plan to do when you reached New York Harbor 100 years ago?' are only some of the questions. With each question I grow a little more anxious, I am slightly worried about the delinquent. Last time she got drunk was less than a month after she'd returned to her own time, and the experience scared her so much she never drank again. I'm glad it scared her too, I was more afraid for her then than I was any time she'd ever charged into battle during the first World War.

Finally we are dismissed and Jack and I race back to our room. Unfortunately for us we forgot the room key, so we resort to nearly breaking down the door before the ruffian answers "Forget something?" she asks. I can see she's trying to be herself, but she doesn't look like she feels very well at all. I smile slightly, at least she's out of bed and on her feet "How do you feel?" I ask her. She shakes her head and looks down "Horrible" she replies. Jack picks her up and carries her back to bed "You're supposed to be resting!" he tells her. She smiles at him "I can't rest Jack, there's so much that needs to be done!" she replies.

I walk over to the desk and it's clear she's been using her laptop. She has many taps open, and I try not to be nosy and look through them, but I can't help but notice just how many emails she has sent out in the past few hours. Also open is a paper, looks like she had to do a little typing for school. And then, for some reason, that strange website called 'ebay' is open. I remember her talking to me about ebay, on Titanic! She said you could buy anything on there! I look back over to the bed where Jack is sitting and talking softly to his fiance "Do you mind if I use your laptop for a little while?" I ask her. She looks over at me before giving me her consent.

Now to find out if you really can buy anything on ebay! I think for a moment, what is a obscure thing that they probably wouldn't have on this absurd website. Ah, I know! A picture of me! Who would buy that? I type it into the search bar and sit 'search', surprisingly enough there are photographs of me! Both of my formal ones, and the most outrageous part of all is they're cheap! Only 7 dollars for a picture of me! Aren't I worth more than 7 dollars? I furiously type Jack's name into ebay, I better at least be worth more than him! His picture doesn't even come up though, it's a bunch of electronics!

Alright then, fine! I type in Titanic after his name and hit search. I smile as I see there's only one result, of Jack and Harold together along with a telegram they sent. The whole package is only worth 7 dollars! Ha! I'm worth more than both of those boys and their wireless nonsense put together! What else could I look for on this ebay? I wonder if I can buy a boat on here!

I can! I can buy a boat on here! And I have lots of options too! Though in the end, I don't think I'd buy a boat on ebay, I'm sure much like google it's not exactly a, reliable source. I exit out of ebay, I've grown rather tired of that. What else is there to do on this device? I'm actually happy to have some time to myself, seeing as Jack has finally stepped up to take care of his own fiance instead of leaving me to babysit her.

After a little while of trying to decipher the meaning of her bizarre background picture, I click on an icon that is called 'Netflix'. Oh wonderful, it's a movie program. I can watch any movie I want, that the delinquent has on here anyway. I skim through the movies, but finally see one that peaks my interest. It's another one of those Disney movies, the moving drawings that amazed me so much. I believe it's the only movie Jack has ever seen that he didn't like, but I never saw it because he watched it while I was hungover.

I look at the summary of it, it's about a deer named Bambi. What could possibly be so bad about that? I click on it and it opens, before the movie even starts though Jack's eyes are wide "Thomas No! Put the headphones in quick!" he tells me. I shrug and pause the movie for a moment while I try to find a pair of headphones. I end up going through the delinquent's things, but finally I manage to find her ipod touch with her ear buds attached. I put them in and hit play on the film again. Bambi, what could be so bad about that?

Really? What is bad about this? If anything it's adorable! It's very much like that lion movie, only I have to say, the music for this one is much better. And what's more, it's absolutely beautiful to look at! It's as though I'm looking at a painting, but it's moving! The story is innocent and simply enough, it's just about a baby deer living with his mother in a forest with lots of other animals. Everything is so nice about this film, what could have set Jack off?

Then it happens, winter comes. And it is really not as happy as it was before, but then things look like they're going to get better because the mother finds some grass! And then, then I realize why Jack had been crying about the mother. Wait a minute, of all things why didn't I remember him saying that before? He said right in front of me that the mother died! Why didn't I remember that? Tears prick my eyes as Bambi begins searching the forest for his mother, it reminds me of Elba! I need to stop doing this!

I try to cry as quietly as I can as I continue watching. But actually, the movie makes me laugh right after the fact. Because after all the depression, it cuts right to the dumbest and most annoying song I ever heard in my entire life! And it's all so nice and colorful! After that things are a mix of light and dark. After Bambi meets the girl deer again I was constantly thinking about Nellie. I would do anything to see her again, I wonder if Gabby would take us to Virginia Beach again so I might swim back to her. I'd swim across the entire ocean to see her again!

The movie ends with man burning the entire forest to the ground, not exactly an enlightening ending, but it's an ending! I take my earphones and look at the time, it's gotten a bit late. I realize we haven't eaten anything all day! We never even got breakfast! And now it's dinner time! I stand and walk over to Jack, who is watching his fiance sleep "Jack, we should go get food" I tell him. He shakes his head "We shouldn't leave again, we left her all morning" he replies. She's sleeping soundly and I tell him she'll be alright for a little while while we go find some food.

He shakes his head and as we begin to argue about the food the ruffian wakes up and looks at us with an irritated expression on her face "Guys, just order a pizza or something!" she says, she looks like she wants to cry "There's money in my purse" she adds. Jack gently reaches over and brushes her bands out of her face "How are you feeling?" he asks her gently. She closes her eyes "Like I've been hit by a train, my head hurts" she replies. I put the back of my hand on her forehead, she still feels warm "Would you like some water?" I ask her. She shakes her head but I encourage her to just have a sip "It will make your head feel better" I tell her. Finally she nods and I get her a glass of water from the bathroom.

Once she's taken care of I have Jack use the hotel telephone to order a pizza. I have no idea what a pizza is, but I'm so hungry I'll eat anything at this point. Except McDonalds of course, won't ever eat that again! Finally Jack ordered a 'Domino's Pizza', while we wait for it we flip through a book that has 'Stuff you gotta see in NYC'. There are some pretty interesting things in here, a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the tallest building in the city called the Empire State Building, and of course a place called 'Times Square'. Hopefully by tomorrow the ruffian will be feeling better and we can see these things.

Finally our pizza arrives and Jack and I dig into it. I don't even mind how greasy and unappealing it is, I have to eat it! It's all there is! Once we're finished Jack returns to his fiance and I get ready for bed. I'm exhausted, yet I feel like I have so many things I need to do! Suddenly my eye catches on the clock on the table, wait a moment! That date on there can't be correct can it? It says, well it says that today is December 1st! That means it will be Christmas soon! My first holiday without my family. I look over at Jack and his delinquent, I suppose I have a new family. They won't ever replace my Nellie and Elba, but I suppose they will do. I should get that ruffian something nice, but what could she want? I end up falling asleep trying to think of something, anything that might appeal to her.

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**RAWR! I have a special present for all you faithful reviewers! Because I'm in a good, giving mood today. But before I give you your special present, I gotta do my comments on the chapter!**

**First off, I'm having a hard time brainstorming ideas right now. Especially since I'm going to be in school a week from now and I have a lot to do before then! So um, any ideas would be appreciated! Oh yea, I know a certain someone who is officer crazy asked me if I could talk with them on the Ouija Board. Well after a little chat with Thomas I found out that I cannot speak with them, however he had some very interesting comments of his own to make about them. So message me if you're interested in hearing about that ;)  
**

**Alright, now I bet you're wondering what my present to you is! Well, it's a video I made for an end of the year project. If you remember from the original Adventure, when Thomas dropped into my Virginia Beach hotel room I had a copy of 'Thomas Andrews Shipbuilder' sitting on the table, which he used to identify himself. Well I really was reading that book when I went there, and I used it for an Independent Reading Project.  
**

**Now this 'project' was basically to make a trailer of the book to convince people to read it. I was so excited to make it, and I have to say I think I did a pretty good job overall. I made it really goofy and silly though, and since it's Thomas related (And nobody I know appreciates him like I do. Except 1 friend, who thinks he's 'sexy for his age' in the movie and 'hot for his time period' in real life) I've sorta kept it hidden away. But now, I'm ready to show it to you guys! So here it is, my 'Thomas Andrews Shipbuilder Commercial!'. And in case anyone is curious, yes that's me as Thomas. And my sister plays a very convincing Helen and Mr. Ismay ;) ****Now I'm not going to try and put the link in here with all the spaces, that's complicated. To find it, just type 'Thomas Andrews gabby33384' into the youtube search bar. You should find it!**

**Thank you all for your reviews and patience! Hopefully I'll have at least 1 or 2 more chapters up at the least before school starts! Thanks for Reading! And yes, do say what you thought of the video in your reviews, if you can find it XD  
**


	15. Chapter 15

"Thomas, Thomas wake up" a voice whispers in my ear. Not again! I was woken up like this yesterday and it was for something bad "Go back to sleep!" I say, swatting them. They shake me "Mr. Andrews keep your voice down, if we wake Jack then we'll never get my wedding dress". Wedding dress? I sit up and look at the delinquent, she's standing in front of me already fully dressed "The wedding is tomorrow" she informs me. I think I might have a heart attack, tomorrow? Is she out of her mind? She was just horribly ill yesterday and she wants to be married tomorrow? How can you plan a wedding in such short time?

When I ask her these questions she merely sighs "Yesterday while you boys were at that conference I made all the arrangements! Were going to go buy the dress this morning, and then we're going to take the train upstate where my sister is going to meet us and take us to my house. The wedding will be held in my little town, my friend is working on doing all those arrangements. And then the reception will be at my house! My friend is working on that too" she explains to me. No wonder she sent so many emails!

Wait a minute, if she's buying the dress this morning, what did she need to wake me up for? She tosses me a random shirt "I don't care what you wear, meet me down in the hotel lobby in 5 minutes!" she tells me. With that she disappears out the door and leaves me standing in the middle of our hotel room. Jack is still sound asleep, and I take care to keep it that way as I slip into my trousers and my shirt. I button my vest, then throw on my overcoat before heading down to the lobby. She isn't going to make me shop with her is she?

Yes, yes she is going to make me shop! Unbelievable! Sometimes I believe she forgets I'm a man, a man who has no interest in wedding gown shopping! When I ask her why she brought me she simply tells me she needs a second opinion, and I'm the only one who can do it. Jack is the groom, he isn't allowed to see the dress. However, I wish he could have come anyway, because he would have been much more excited for this than I am!

A woman comes and leads us down some hallways to a secluded little hall with two dressing rooms and a pedestal between them. The woman points to a chair and I sit down, now I'm going to have to wait! The ruffian and the woman disappear into the dressing room, before the woman comes back out and disappears down the hallway. This won't take too long will it? Soon the woman returns, carrying many dresses over her head. We'll be here all day! I know one thing about the delinquent, and that is she is incredibly indecisive! She has a terrible time making decisions!

After a few minutes she comes in and steps up on the pedestal. I have to attempt not to laugh at the atrocity she's wearing! It's a lace ball-gown, that makes her look like a giant marshmallow! I fear if a gust of wind came she would float away in this dress! She looks over at me "Well?" she asks. I swallow "It's a little bit too..." how do I put it nicely "Much" I finish. She shrugs and turns to the woman "Not this one then!" she tells her. The woman smiles "Alright, well let's keep looking then!".

Dress after dress, none of them are right. Actually, the more dresses she tries on, the more critical and serious about it I become. This dress has to be exactly right, it needs to be perfect! After several more dresses she finally comes out in a gown that makes my heart jump up in my throat for some reason! She looks, well, she looks amazing! She looks like a bride, like she should walk down the aisle right now and marry Jack! The ruffian gives me a funny look "Thomas are you upset about something? You look like you're going to cry" she tells me. I shake my head "This is the dress Gabby! This is the dress!" I tell her. Who would have thought I would feel so emotional over a silly thing like a wedding dress.

The woman leaves for a moment, then comes back with a veil, placing it on the ruffian head. Now she really looks like a bride! And it's definitely a shock to me, I've been treating her like the naive teenager I first met all those years ago. Now that she's standing here in this dress, I know she's not that girl anymore.

"You really like this one Thomas?" she asks. I nod and she steps off the pedestal and stands in front of me "Thomas, I have a question. Are you, happy here in the future?" she asks me. That's a pretty sudden question, one that I'm not exactly prepared to answer right now. Honestly, I don't know for sure if I'm happy in the future. As much as I have grown to love Gabby and Jack, and all my new friends. I still miss my wife and child, my old life. I miss my mates at the shipyard, and visiting my parents on Sundays!

Finally I tell her "I don't know if I'm happy. Perhaps one day I will be, I'd like to be happy here. It isn't as bad as I originally thought it would be". She smiles "I've been so selfish, bringing you to the future. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, I am really sorry Thomas and I'll make it up to you somehow, I promise" she tells me. I smile back at her "You're a good girl. Now get out of that dress so we can get going" I tell her. She turns and disappears into the dressing room, coming back out in what she came into the store wearing.

Once we pay for the dress and everything we practically race back to the hotel. To our horror though, Jack is nowhere to be found. There's a note on the desk and the delinquent reads it aloud "Heard there was a toy and candy center in this city called 'Times Square'. Went to check it out". She smacks her palm to her forehead "We'll never find him in Times Square! It's the most crowded place in the whole city! And with Christmas coming up? We'll be lucky if we ever see him again!" suddenly the door opens and Jack strolls in carrying 4 bags.

Her eyes widen "Where the hell have you been?" she asks him. He takes a bite out of a chocolate bar he was holding before dropping his bags on the bed "Didn't you get my note?" he asks. He reaches into one of the bags and tosses her something "Here, I got this for you!" he tells her. Her eyes light up as she tears open the wrapper and begins eating the little candies Jack got her "I forgive you!" she tells him. I can't help but laugh slightly, she may be an adult in some respects, but she's still a child in others. Talking with her mouth full, she must know better!

Jack shows off his bags "Check it out! I went to the M&M store and got you those candies sweetheart, and then I crossed the street and visited the Hershey candy store! And then check this out!" he reaches into a bag and pulls out a hat with mouse ears, putting it on his head "They had a Disney Store! And look at this! They had a toy store with 3 floors in it! And a Ferris wheel! Here Thomas, I got this for you in there" he reaches into a bag and hands me a present, it's something called 'Legos'.

The ruffian smiles at Jack "That's very nice darling, but we have a train to catch so could you please pack your things!" she tells him. He laughs "Already done, mostly because I never really unpacked in the first place!". I merely have to throw a few things into my own suitcase before I'm ready to go. The ruffian packs quickly as well, before stuffing her cat into its carrier. We grab all our bags, she grabs Killian's leash while I take Ramin and Jack carries Thomas. Once we check out we catch a taxi to grand central station, and then we're on our way to upstate New York!

While we're on the train the delinquent calls her sister to ask her if she's on her way. When she answers yes they hang up and she swats Jack away from the bag the dress is in "Jack, you're not allowed to look in there!" she tells him. He raises an eyebrow "Why not?" he asks. She rolls her eyes "Because it's my wedding dress darling, and you're not allowed to see it until tomorrow". His eyes grow wide "Tomorrow? What do you mean tomorrow?" he asks. Oh, he doesn't know does he? This will be interesting!

"Jack, we're getting married tomorrow!" she tells him. He stutters "B... But that's so... so soon!" he tells her. She sighs "I want to be married and go on our honeymoon before Christmas" she tells him, he sighs "Alright, I take it you have everything planned then?" he asks. She nods and he sighs "Well, alright. I'm ready to marry you, I've been ready for a long time anyway. I just didn't expect, you know, tomorrow" he says, chuckling.

Finally we get to the station and we drag all our things off the train. Now where is this girl's sister? Suddenly the delinquent smiles brightly and tells us to follow her. We head out into the parking lot where a girl is waiting for us. She's slightly shorter than the delinquent, but a lot bigger, with her long hair tied back in a messy ponytail. She smiles goofily "Hi Gabby!" she says, opening her trunk. The ruffian laughs "Hannah! What the heck kind of bumper sticker is that?" she asks. Her sister looks at it, grinning ear to ear "It's the nyan cat!" she tells her. The ruffian rolls her eyes "Yes I know it's the Nyan cat, but why?" she asks. Hannah shrugs "I like it!".

The delinquent turns to us "Alright Hannah well here they are! This is Thomas Andrews, and this is Jack Phillips!" she tells her. The girl smiles "Awesome! By the way, Mom's mad at you" she informs her sister. "Gee what a surprise" the ruffian replies sarcastically. We all pile into the car and start the long drive up to her little town.

We arrive at her house as the sun begins to set over the valley. Snow falls softly over the countryside, as the pull in the driveway of her childhood home. I'm astounded, the girl practically lived in a mansion! After getting out of the car, instead of taking us to the front door, she leads us around the house and down a hill, heading towards a red barn. We don't stop there though, we walk straight through the barn, she barely acknowledges a pair of sheep in one of the stalls. Once we're clear of that barn, we begin approaching a large fenced in area, with a little red shed of some kind. There's nothing in sight.

Suddenly she whistles and enters the fenced pen. Suddenly a shape appears at the far end of the field, it's ears pricked and alert to the girl standing in his field. "Rocky!" she calls, the pony begins walking forward towards us, but the delinquent isn't going to wait, she begins running out to him. The pony stops a few feet away from the girl and she stops, holding her hand out to him "Rocky? It's me bonny boy. Remember?" she asks him, her voice is so soft Jack and I can hardly hear her.

The pony closes the gap between them and lowers his head slightly, she reaches up and rubs her hand on his forehead and under his forelock. They stand like that for a long moment before he lifts his head up and she wraps her arms around his neck, burying her face into his fuzzy coat. Jack and I have come up behind them now, and being closer I can see tears running down the girl's cheeks "I missed you Rocky, did you miss me?" she asks him. The pony lowers his head, resting his neck on her shoulder as though to hug her back. Her breath hitches and her arms tighten around the pony's neck "I'll never leave you again bonny boy" she promises him "Never again. I'll bring you back to England with me, or where ever I end up! I don't care! I am not leaving you here anymore" she tells him. The pony steps back and she takes his nose into her hands, kissing it.

I can't help but smile at the scene, for a few reasons. The first being, that this fuzzy little pony is the famous Rocky that she dreamed and talked of so much. And the second reason is, well she seems more excited to see this pony than she is to see her own mother and father! Finally she finishes being reunited with her pony and leads us back towards the house. We enter the front door and are immediately greeted by a large collie and another scottie. The ruffian smiles "Angus! Zoey!" she greets them, crouching down to pet them and hug them.

The next thing to greet us is a brown tabby cat, who rubs up against her leg "Puddles!" she says, picking the cat up and petting it "I brought your brother back for a visit!" she tells her, setting her down. She then opens the cat carrier her sister brought in and left by the door, letting Thomas run out. The two cats both race down the hall together and disappear through a door.

Now we're finally starting to see people! The first person being her brother, who walks up to us with a funny look on his face. "So you guys are the real Thomas Andrews and Jack Phillips?" he asks. When Jack says yes he nods slowly "Cool, cool" he replies, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looks at the ruffian "Mom's mad at you" he tells her. She laughs "Yes, I know" she replies. He shrugs and walks into another room.

Finally the dreaded parents arrive. The father comes down first, and he shakes our hands and greets us kindly. The last person is her mother, coming down the stairs with a wary expression. Gabby stands aside as Jack and I try to be as friendly as possibly. I shake her hand "Thomas Andrews" I introduce myself. It's Jack's turn next and she shakes his hand as well. Now that we're all downstairs, her father invites us into the kitchen and asks us if we want anything to drink.

I ask for a glass of champagne while Jack sits at the table quietly, I think he's slightly bothered by the fact that his fiancé's mother doesn't like him and won't even give him a chance. The ruffian leads him into the dining room and the two of them sit down. Once I have my champagne her father and I join them. The ruffian's mother has vanished back up the stairs, and I don't expect to see her again for a while. Gabby smiles brightly "Daddy, guess what?" she asks him. He asks her what and she tells him she's getting married tomorrow.

He smiles slightly "Yes, I know. Hannah told me. Are we invited to the wedding or what?" he asks jokingly. She smiles and nods "Of course, who else would walk me down the aisle?" she asks him. I could think of one person, but I push the thought away. We all continue to talk casually, her father seems to like us and Jack. However at times I find it a little difficult to understand him, as he is clearly not from this country and he has an accent. After talking for an hour the girl's mother finally returns. Her father tells us he's going into the kitchen to make dinner and he disappears.

Her mother sits down at the table and there's an akward silence. Finally the delinquent says "Mom, I told ya they were real". That only seems to make her mother more upset with her "They aren't supposed to be here" she tells her coldly. Her daughter stands up "Mom! They can be here if I want them here! Everybody else likes them here but you! And if you are so against them then I swear I will never talk to you again!" she replies.

Jack tries to put a word in but the battle rages on and he is ignored. "Gabrielle! You can't have everything you want! You're going to change history!" she tells her, her daughter puts her hands on her hips "But Mom! You always bought me whatever I want! And you told me to make history! Well look right there, I've brought two 100 year old people back to life!". She approaches her mother "You always told me to fulfill my destiny! Always! And I have! It might not be the destiny you wanted me to fulfill, but maybe what you wanted wasn't my destiny at all!" she lectures.

Suddenly her father bursts in the room "WHO WANTS COSMIC BROWNIES?" he asks. I think he's grown tired of the argument, and I have to say I have as well. Gabby glares at her mother before grabbing Jack's arm "Come on Jack, we'll get our brownies and then I'll show you and Thomas around". We leave her mother sitting alone in the dining room and grab some brownies.

She leads us upstairs and into a very clean room. She smiles brightly "This is my bedroom!" she states proudly. The first thing to notice is the shelves, they're full of nothing but horses! Plastic horses! And then there are some of the posters and things she has hanging on the walls. Two are small paintings of racehorses, one is a picture of her and a yellow dog, one is a picture of a mermaid, a crab, and a yellow and blue fish, one is of some people surfing with a little blue monster. And the rest are all posters, one for Phantom of the Opera, and the rest are all signed posters of school productions she'd been in.

We sit on her bed and she points at various things around the room "There's my very first horse show ribbon I ever won, and there's my Phantom of the Opera music box. And there's my paper Titanic model that I built all by myself!" she points out. I smile, the model is impressive!

After a little while her father calls us down to dinner and we all head down to the dining room once more. Everyone is at the table, her father at the head of one end, with her mother to his left. Her brother sits next to her mother and her sister right next to him. I decide to sit at the other end of the table, while the delinquent sits to her father's right and Jack sits next to her.

The dinner table is quiet for a moment, before Hannah begins talking. Her brother, Alex, also starts asking me question after question about the Titanic. "Is it true the Olympic was the ship that sank instead of the Titanic?" he asks, what kind of absurd question is that? I tell him that is was certainly the Titanic, which only causes him to launch into an entirely different set of odd questions.

Meanwhile Jack continues talking with the delinquent's father while she supervises quietly. Her brother and sister quickly finish their meals and dismiss themselves, and Jack and I finish not long after them. Suddenly her mother tells the two of us to leave, as they wish to speak with their daughter alone. Jack and I pick up our dishes and leave the room. Of course, that's not going to stop us from listening to their conversation! We throw our dishes into the sink and then press our ears against the closed dining room door, listening intently.

"Jack's a good guy, don't you remember when I told you about him on the Titanic?" the delinquent says to her parents. Her father speaks first "He isn't a redneck, I like him" he says. Her mother still isn't all the way on board with it "Why didn't you tell us? Why are you marrying him so soon? You haven't given it enough time to know whether you're making a mistake or not!" she says. To this the ruffian answers "I love him, after everything I've been through on Titanic with him, I know he's the one! And being on Titanic II with him only made me more sure! I've waiting 8 years for this Mom, and I'm going to marry him tomorrow no matter what" she says.

Jack is smiling brightly at the conversation. "Well, I give you my own consent to marry him" her father says, which makes Jack look like he wants to jump up and down and celebrate. I'm still holding my breath though, the whole wedding could be off if her mother says no. This isn't 1912, a man's word hardly means anything anymore unless his wife agrees also. Finally she says "You can marry whoever you want, I won't stop you". The delinquent jumps out of her chair and yells "THANK YOU MOMMY!" before running towards the door.

She bursts through the door, which causes Jack and I to fall on our backsides. She laughs as she helps us up "Oh Thomas! You stalker!" she says. Jack kisses her "So we'll me married tomorrow?" he asks, she nods "Yep! And then we're going to catch a plane to florida for our honeymoon!". Jack makes a funny face "Florida? What's in florida?" he asks. She smiles brightly "Disney World!".

* * *

**We has a problem everybody! That problem being, my laptop has been stolen by my wicked mother! She took it because she says I have an 'addiction' to fanfiction and I need to focus on more important things. Of course, there isn't anything important to focus on for another week so I'm kinda mad. That's why I stole her laptop to type up this chapter ;)**

**My confiscated laptop means chapters are going to be even SLOWER coming! But at least I know what they are! Next chapter is going to be the wedding, and no, we are not going to have Jack POV for that. Mostly because, well, I'd have to make this story rated M. It would just make things really weird! Anyway, we'll be POVing with Thomas, as he tries to figure out his Legos and, he's going to have to do a favor for Jack. What favor? Well you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out!**

**THANK YA FOR THE REVIEWS! You people *Sniffle* you're just amazing! That's why in the review store today we have special shirts that say 'I'm the best reviewer ever' on them. They come in a multitude of colors, so review and get yours today! THANKS FOR READING!**

**P.S. If you're curious as to what the wedding gown looks like, this is the one I ended up picking in the end. I'm terrible at choosing gowns though. Anyway, just type 'Alita Graham Sweetheart A-Line Gown in Lace' into Google Images and it's the first picture that comes up ;)**

**P.S.S. Bonus Cookies if you can tell me what the two pictures that Thomas described in my room are of. Hint: They are both pictures from Animated Movies!**


	16. Chapter 16

"I'm a little nervous, is that bad?" Jack asks me as he straightens his bowtie for the 17th time this afternoon. I can't help but chuckle "It's natural to be nervous. I'm not sure why though, there's nothing to be nervous about!" I tell him. He nods "I guess you're right. I think I'm just a little tired. I was up all night writing my vows" he tells me. I smile at him sympathetically "I'm sure she'll love them" I assure him.

Suddenly one of the delinquent's friends pokes her head in the door. I can't remember her name, as the ruffian introduced us very briefly and I never got a chance to get to know any of them. But luckily I believe this is the one who is the least crazy of the bunch. "Hey guys, you about ready?" she asks, Jack looks terrified so I answer for him "Yes, we're ready" I tell her. She nods "Ok, we'll probably start in about five minutes. Thomas, you might want to go see Gabby before then, she's been asking for you" she tells me before disappearing out the door.

Jack looks up at me "What do you think she wants? Do you think she's changing her mind?" he asks. I roll my eyes "No Jack, I'm sure she's just as nervous as you are. Jack, why don't you just take some deep breaths and I'll be right back" I suggest. He nods and mumbles something I can't make out as I leave the room and head down the hall to where I know the delinquent is. I knock on her door gently and I hear her call for me to come in.

She stands before me in her wedding dress "Thomas! I have to ask you a question!" she tells me as I close the door behind me. She looks just as bad as Jack does, on the verge of a panic attack. I approach her slowly "Yes?" I ask, she looks up at me "Um, I really shouldn't ask you such an akward question. So I apologize ahead of time for asking this. But I consider you a really close friend, and you're the only friend I have who has been married. So I'm going to ask you this!" she explains to me. Suddenly I feel incredibly uneasy, I don't like where she's going with this!

"Thomas, um, you know after a wedding and all that the couple is supposed to, you know, consummate the marriage and all that. But um, I was just wondering. Does it hurt?" she asks me. I swear this girl is going to make me have a heart attack! I clear my throat and sit down, her question really threw me for a loop! I stay calm though, after all we're all adults here and she's asking me a very serious question. But still, of all things for her to ask me about it had to be that? And I'm a man! How am I supposed to know it if hurts? It sure didn't hurt me any! She looks at me expectantly and I ask her why she couldn't ask one of her other female friends.

She sits down in a chair next to me "Because! They have done it so many times and with so many different guys they probably don't even remember the first time! And even if they did, they would lie to me and tell me horror stories to scare me. So that's why I'm asking you! You'll be honest with me! So, did it hurt Helen? Would you say?" she asks. I fumble over my words for a moment, still stunned that she would even think to ask me such a question "Well, it will probably hurt at first. But I'm sure you'll, um, get over it quickly" I tell her. I'm not going into any details for her! I'm not drawing her a picture!

Finally she nods "Ok, I'm sorry to ask you Thomas, I just needed to know. I'm kinda nervous" she admits. I laugh "It's alright, I'll tell you a secret. Jack is just as nervous as you are, perhaps more! But neither of you have anything to be nervous about!" I tell her, standing and going over to the table where her veil is sitting. I pick it up and carry it over to her, carefully placing it on her head "You both love each other, that's what matters. I'm pretty sure he will do his best not to hurt you" I assure her. There, now we're officially done with this conversation!

After a moment she stands up and picks up her rose bouquet "Alright Thomas, I'll take your word for it. Now you better get back to Jack, I'd rather my fiance not have a stroke before the wedding" she tells me. I nod and slip out of the room, returning to Jack who is standing in the hallway "Well? What did she want?" he asks. I swallow "Um, well she's a little nervous about tonight is all" I tell him. He smiles lopsidedly "Oh? Well she'll find out pretty quick she has nothing to be afraid of" he tells me. I feel myself turning red, what is wrong with these two? You know what, they are perfect for each other! Just perfect!

Jack and I go upstairs and walk down the aisle together. We stand at the front and wait for the delinquent to come out, and I keep a close eye on Jack to make sure he doesn't pass out. "Don't lock your knees" I whisper to him, he glances at me and nods before looking back towards the door once more. Suddenly the organist starts playing and the doors open revealing the ruffian in all her glory. She didn't have enough time to get her friends bridesmaids dresses, so she had to settle without having any.

For the first time all day Jack smiles brightly. The ruffian is smiling too, I would hope she was after what I just told her! When they reach us the priest welcomes everybody before asking "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?". Her father nods "I do" he replies before giving her a kiss on the cheek and sitting down next to her mother in the front row. I believe the two of them decided they wanted to have the wedding be as quick as possible, so after a quick prayer they dive straight into the vows "The bride and groom have written their own vows, which they will recite to each other".

I can see Jack shifting nervously, and I silently pray he doesn't mess this up. But by the way the delinquent is looking at him, I am almost positive he could burn the church down at this point and she'd still marry him! He clears his throat before saying "Gabby, I knew from the moment you first opened your mouth that you were not like any other girl I'd ever seen before in my life! You are crazy!". That earns him a few chuckles from the audience and he pauses for them to finish before he continues "But I absolutely love that about you! I didn't want the typical upstanding rich girl. I wanted a girl who could hold up a conversation, who could make me laugh when I felt sad, who could teach me new things, and who I knew would never leave my side no matter what. I know that girl is you, because again and again you proved to me".

He seems slightly less nervous now as he goes on "When you were on Titanic you must have known the ship would sink, and yet you still said yes when I proposed to you. And when I ended up in the freezing waters of the Atlantic you jumped right into the water with me even though you could have died right alongside me! You stayed with me until the bitter end, and beyond that. And for that I know for sure you are the one. In our time together I promise to devote the same loyalty to you that you devoted to me. I promise to love you and cherish you, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, although I'm certain we've already been through the worse part, in sickness and in health, and until death once again do us part" he finishes.

The poor delinquent looks like she wants to cry at his words but she swallows and starts her own vows "Jack, when I saw the James Cameron movie I thought Harold Bride was much cuter than you. I also thought when I went back in time that I would end up with a devilishly handsome officer on the Titanic. Well when I first saw you everything I ever thought before immediately flew out the window. I mean, you're really REALLY cute!" she says. One of her friends in the audience, I think the boy crazy one, stands up and yells "HELL YA!" before another friend drags her back down. The ruffian laughs at her friend before turning back to Jack.

"The more I got to know you, the more I grew to love you. By the time you proposed I knew there was only one answer to your question, and so I said yes. I knew I was supposed to go back to the future, but after meeting you I was ready to stay in 1912 and live out my entire life with you! When that ship sank I was bound and determined to change history so we could be together, but I couldn't. I tried Jack, I really wanted to save you because I loved you more than I'd ever loved anyone else before in my entire life! I wasn't going to just leave you in water, if Officer Lowe hadn't come along I was ready to die with you! And to this day I still would die alongside you if it ever came to that again!" she tells him.

She continues "Fate has given us a second chance! And this time I'm not going to mess up. I'm going to do everything right this time! I want to spend every day with you, and do all the things we only got to dream about before! I promise to be the best wife I can be. I won't leave your side no matter what happens, through thick and thin, through good times and bad. I promise to love you as long as we both shall live and beyond that". With that she finishes and Jack looks like he wants to kiss her right that instant! But they're going to have to wait just a little longer!

Next they exchange rings, Jack takes her hand and slips the gold band on, saying simply "With this ring I thee wed". The ruffian copies what he did and finally the priest gives a final prayer before saying "I now pronounce you husband and wife. What God has joined together let no man put asunder. You may kiss your bride". Jack kisses her, and everybody claps. I think most of her friends just want to get to the party, so the delinquent raises her bouquet and calls "FIRST ONE TO THE HOUSE GETS A FREE DRINK!".

That church clears out unbelievably fast and the ruffian kisses her husband again. I never thought I'd actually say that, Jack being her husband! The ruffian takes his arm and he begins leading her out of the church, where her silly pony is waiting for them. The ruffian goes over and gasps "Jack! Who put a bearing rein on my poor pony?". Jack and I look over to see that whoever harnessed Rocky did indeed put a bearing rein on him. She asks Jack to undo it, but he doesn't know how, so I take the liberty of unfastening it.

By the time I finish the two of them have gotten into the carriage, so I climb into the drivers seat. I snap the reins and the pony trots forward steadily. As we head back towards the delinquent's house I can't help but wonder what kind of night I'm in for. If there's one thing people are insane about in this time period, it's partying! And considering the type of people living in this little farm town, I would not be surprised at all if more than half her wedding party got completely wasted tonight!

And you know what! I was right! About 2 hours into the wedding reception most everyone was drunk, with the exception of myself, the bride and groom, and the delinquent's parents. Of course, her parents disappeared after the first hour, so basically everyone else was drunk. And you know what, I've never had a grander time in my whole life! I remember Elba telling me she could climb trees like a redneck! At the time I'd been absolutely appalled, but now I find myself wanting to apologize to these rednecks! They know how to party!

Things got even more wild as the night went on! And they convinced me to have a drink or two. However I made sure not to drink enough that would make me want to vomit the next morning. Still, I felt a little tipsy as one of her friends walked up to me and asked me where some person I didn't know was. I thought for a minute before telling them "Take the elevator to the very bottom! Go to the left, then go right, then go to the left, and left again at the stairs, down the crewman's passage. Then go right, then go right, go to the left. Then go right, and right, and left again at the stairs you'll come to a long corridor. Go to the left! Then go right, then go to the left, and left again at the stairs, down the crewman's passage! Then go right, then go right, then go right again. And you'll uh, be there". The person was so drunk they actually nodded to my directions and said "Ok Thanks! Which way to the elevator?". I pointed them towards the woods and they wandered away in search of the nonexistent elevator.

Finally things at the party begin to wind down, and Jack pulls me aside "Thomas, I need to ask you to do me a favor" he says. I raise a skeptical eyebrow "What kind of favor?" I ask him. He reaches into his pocket and hands me a key and an envelope "Listen Thomas. I never told you this, but while we were on Titanic I had a dream about Harold Bride. He told me there's another portal into 1912, and the way to open it was with that key! In the dream he gave me the key and then I woke up with it in my hand!" he explains. I nod to him "Go on" I say, he looks over his shoulder to make sure no one is listening, however they're all so drunk I don't think they'd remember the conversation even if they did overhear.

"He told me that key opens a door in a house, in Belfast. I want you to take a plane to Belfast as quick as you can, and I want you to buy that house!" he tells me. That's simple enough, there's only one problem. Which house in Belfast could he possibly be talking about? There are a ton of homes in Belfast! When I point this out he smiles slightly "I thought of that, there's an ad in that envelope there that has the house. Go there and buy it". I open the envelope and look inside, the ad is in there, along with a ton of money! In cash! "Where did you get all this money from?" I ask, startled by the sheer amount of it. He laughs quietly "Thomas! You realize we're celebrities right? We can have whatever we want!" he tells me. I shake my head "Where did you really get the money?" I ask him. He sighs "Fine, James Cameron 'donated' it. There's enough money there for you to buy the house, and keep us living until you and I can manage to get jobs of our own" he replies honestly.

I nod to him and promise him I'll have the house bought by the time his honeymoon is over. He smiles brightly "Thanks Thomas, and, do me a favor and don't mention this to Gabby. She doesn't know about it just yet, I'd like to surprise her for Christmas. You know?". I once again nod "I know. So I take it we'll be having Christmas here then?" I ask. Now it's his turn to nod "Yep, Gabby's siblings really want her to spend Christmas here. And also Gabby is trying to book passage for that pony of hers to go to England on Titanic II. I'm going to have to intercept that though". We say some parting farewells and good lucks before he and the delinquent leave.

Now I just have to get to Belfast and buy this house! But how do I get there quickly? It takes nearly a week by ship! But the time I get there they'll be done with their honeymoon! Then it hits me, I'm going to have to fly there, in a plane! My stomach turns over slightly at the thought, oh I would rather not have to fly in a plane! But I must, I'll be brave about it! And besides, Elba flew planes and nothing bad happened to her, while she was flying the plane anyway. I quickly pack my suitcase, tell the ruffian's family goodbye, and head off to find a taxi that will take me to the nearest airport. But of course, being as she lives in the middle of nowhere, I had to ask one of her friend's parents to drive me. That was embarrassing, but I figured better safe than sorry! I wasn't about to ask one of those drunkards to take me!

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**School starts tomorrow! Oh My! I can't believe summer is already over! I did so much but feel like I did so little! But looking back on it, I wrote 2 1/2 fanfictions this summer! That is the craziest thing I've ever done! I mean, I'm lucky if I finish a fanfiction at all, but to finish 2 in such a short span of time? And now this one is gonna be done soon too! I have a terrible record of getting writers block and not writing for long periods of time, but somehow this summer I pulled through and finish! So, yay for that! I suppose it's Titanic, makes me just wanna keep writing!**** And I also think it was in part to my favorite fanfiction reviewers! You guys motivated me like no other reviewers have! So THANK YOU!  
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**Just a side note, I've finally gotten my laptop back. This weekend I'll hopefully post the next chapter. After that, I'm going to be in a rush to finish this story, so expect this to be over by the end of the month. Once it's done, I'm going to say goodbye to fanfiction for a little while. But only a little while! Then I'm going to be back, but not to write Titanic! I'm going into War Horse, I'm absolutely positive on this! And the major fanfiction novel I write over there is actually going to be a slight crossover. Even though you guys didn't give me any feedback *Glares* I've decided I'm going to write about Gabby's adventures in the cavalry anyway! Now, you don't necessarily need to have seen War Horse to enjoy that fic when it comes, but it might help if you see the inspiration for it. It really is a great movie! One of my favorites (Next to Titanic of course)! That is, if you even care to read it. If not, well it's been nice havin ya read my Titanic fiction! Maybe I'll write a couple one-shots here and there about different people, maybe!  
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**Anyway, today in the review shop we have Plush Titanics! And these are real, I swear on my life I'm not even making this up! There really are Plush Titanics, they come with a book called 'T is for Titanic'. Honestly, who comes up with this stuff? Anyway, you only get one if you review! Thanks for Reading everybody!  
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**P.S. You guys only got 1 cookie! Everybody got the little mermaid right, the second picture is actually Lilo and Stitch, which was the inspiration for some of the gags in the original grand misadventure.  
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**P.S.S. If you actually watched that video I posted a few chapters back, you'll probably get one of the jokes in this chapter. If that is the case, you get that extra cookie that you DIDN'T get from guessing the picture ;)  
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**P.S.S. If they came out with 'Titanic, the Water Ride', would you ride it? And yes, I'm aware there is a blow up Titanic slide, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about if there was like, a legit attraction at a water park based on Titanic!  
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	17. Chapter 17

It's Christmas day today, and I can't help but feel incredibly warmhearted. Everything is just so relaxing! And that's a good thing, because flying to Belfast to buy that house was the most stressful thing I'd ever done in my entire life. Although flying there in a matter on hours was convenient, I probably shouldn't have been reading about 9/11 on the flight. It wasn't my fault though, the delinquent's brother suggested I read about some other disasters in history to feel better about my own disaster. Well it hasn't worked! I mean, I've read about the Lusitania, both World Wars, and then one of the last things I read was about 9/11. I was almost to the end of it when the plane started to land. How terrifying!

After all that though, I did manage to buy the house! And I even found the door which the key opens. However, I decided not to go through it just yet, I'd like to wait until the delinquent and Jack are there before I rush through there. But I know exactly what I'm going to do when I do pass through the door. I'm going to run straight home and take Helen into my arms. I'm going to tell her how much I love her and how much I missed her! And Elba, oh my darling little girl! She would love to be here with me this morning, tearing open her presents from Santa.

Today is incredibly interesting, because everyone here in an adult. Christmas without children around takes the fun out of it slightly, but it does make it much more peaceful! The tree looks beautiful, actually the whole house does! When I got back from my trip the ruffian's mother had me help her string lights and put of various decorations. After helping her, she seems to like me actually. When the two love bird's got back Jack was blown away by the house, the ruffian just laughed and said "Some things never change eh Mom?". I suppose her mother does this every year!

There's a pretty good blanket of snow covering the ground, which the delinquent says she likes because her last couple of Christmas' at home, apparently there was no snow. There's certainly snow now! Hannah practically dives under the tree excitedly, even though she's 19 years old. Alex, the ruffian's younger brother, is a little more dignified as he goes under the tree and gets his gifts. The ruffian's parents are in the dining room, and her siblings quickly head in there for breakfast leaving the love birds and I alone in the living room with the tree.

Jack smiles as he hands his wife a small wrapped box with a bow on it. When she opens it she gives him a funny look before pulling out a key "What's this go to?" she asks him. His smile grows even brightly "That's the key to your new house! In Belfast!" he tells her. She practically tackles him "Oh my God Jack really? You bought me a house?" she asks. He laughs "Well, I technically didn't. James Cameron supplied the funds and Thomas bought the house when we were away" he tells her. She smiles "Aw, thank you Thomas! And we already sent James a Christmas card so that should suffice as a thank you. Right?".

The house was from both of us, therefore it's my turn to open my presents. The first gift is from Jack, it's a pretty substantial box. I tear the paper off and open it, it's empty! I look at him "Where's the gift?" I ask him. He shrugs "I uh, I couldn't afford a present this year, so I got you that box!" he replies. I try not to smile and laugh, because that's exactly what I got him too! An empty box! Won't he be surprised when he opens his present? Next it's the delinquent's turn, she hands me a present and I wonder what she could have possibly gotten me.

I open it and realize it's a framed photograph. What could it possibly be of? I finish tearing open the paper and turn it over, my heart skips a beat. There are actually 2 pictures in this frame! The first one is of Helen and I on our wedding day, the one below is is of Elba sitting on the side of a couch. Where could she have possibly gotten these pictures from? I look up at her and she smiles "Do you like it Thomas?" she asks, I can only nod as my eyes fall back to the pictures. Finally I ask her where she got the photos from and she tells me "It doesn't matter where I got them. If I told you it would ruin it". I take it that means she printed them off of some website or something. I don't care though! They're perfect!

Now it's Jack's turn to open his presents. When he opens my empty box he laughs "Hey! Great minds must think alike!" he says. I also laugh "More like we're both jobless and penniless" I reply. Next it's his turn to open his gift from the ruffian. He opens the box and picks up a thermometer looking object, but it has a plus sign on it! He holds it close to his face to examine it and try to figure out what it is. Finally he asks her and she laughs "First of all, I wouldn't hold that too close to your face, cause I peed on it". This causes him to drop the thing back into the box "Ew! Why didn't you say so before?" he asked. She smiles "Because I thought it was funny".

Finally she decides to answer him "Jack, that's a pregnancy test" she tells him. He looks back at the object in the box "I'm confused. You gave me a stick you peed on? Why would you give me that?" he asks, still thinking about the fact he'd been holding it so close to her face and not registering what it was. She rolls her eyes "Jack! I'm pregnant!" she says. I nearly choke on my coffee and Jack's head snaps up "You're, you're gonna have a baby? Like, MY baby?" he asks. She laughs "No Jack, I'm having Thomas' baby!" she tells him sarcastically, but Jack immediately stands up "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S HIS? THOMAS HOW DARE YOU KNOCK UP MY WIFE YOU SON OF A BI-" she cuts him off by standing "Jack! Jack calm down I was kidding! He hasn't done anything" she assures him. He gets sort of a blank look on his face "Oh, well in that case that's wonderful you're having a baby!" he says after a moment, smiling.

The rest of the day goes by uneventfully, and the delinquent keeps her pregnancy a secret from her family until New Years. On that day she rounds up her brother and sister, and tells them. Her sister is shocked by the news, her brother doesn't appear to care that much, either way they both agree not to tell her parents. After New Years, the delinquent tells us she has to work the trip going back on Titanic II. Jack doesn't seem to want her to "But sweetheart, what about the baby?" he asks. She smiles and kisses him "It'll be alright. Now Jack, I need you to take Killian, Ramin, and both the Thomas' back to my apartment in London. Empty the place, except for the furniture, and bring it to the new house. I'll take a plane from Southampton to Belfast once I get home. There is a barn at the new house, isn't there?" she asks.

Jack smiles "There can be, there's plenty of room" he replies. She nods "Good, well there needs to be a place for Rocky to stay, after all he is coming with me on ship". I shake my head, did I hear that right "You are bringing your horse onto my ship?" I ask her. She nods "Yep! I got a discount!" she tells me proudly. Where is she going to keep a horse? I suppose it would be best not to question it, yes I believe it is definitely for the best!

We part ways in New York City, the ruffian kissing her husband and promising to see him soon, she hugs me and promises me she'll make sure everything runs perfectly for me. I smile, though I'm actually slightly worried to let her get on this ship by herself. What if something happens? When I say this she sighs "Thomas, I'll make it home. Everything will be just fine. Now, hurry up now or you guys are going to miss your flight!" she tells us. I swallow and nods and she gives us both a final hug before turning and heading over to where her pony is waiting to be loaded onto the ship.

With the delinquent gone, Jack and I get as much done as possible. Cleaning out her apartment was simple, she didn't really have too much that seemed to belong to her. It took a day to get to London, a day to pack up her apartment and get it moving towards the airport. Then it took another day for us to get to Belfast, get all her things, and get to the house. By then we were exhausted, and not in the mood to unpack, so we decided to leave that for when the delinquent came back. Instead Jack called around and managed to get a small barn and stock fence to temporarily keep Rocky contained until we could get a real fence back there.

By the time the delinquent arrives with the horse, Jack and I had pretty much settled in. She seemed incredibly relieved to see us again "Oh my God, you would not BELIEVE the people on that stupid ship!" she tells us at dinner. Jack smiles sympathetically "I'm sure it wasn't so bad". She then decides to list every reason why it WAS bad! And after just a few of the things she had to put up with, Jack and I both find ourselves nodding with her in agreement. Jack chuckles "Well, while you were having a terrible time, did you hear the good news?" he asks. She shakes her head and I smile "I got a job!" I announce proudly.

It was true, Harland and Wolff had taken me back as a designer! Although times had changed, and I would need to learn those changes. However, they agreed to give me some training, and then I would be set to design once again! I am very excited to start work, soon perhaps things will feel normal in this time period! Maybe I'll even be happy!

Once dinner finishes Jack asks me about the silver key, to the door. I tell him I still have it "Thomas, I think you should only go back in time once" he tells me after a moment "Because it could be dangerous to go there a lot, you know?" he asks. I understand where he's coming from. The delinquent overhears our conversation "Thomas, why don't you go back tonight?" she asks me. I don't know if I should, I almost dread having to go back in time. Of course I want to see Helen and Elba again, but I know for sure it will be the last time I ever see them. I'll have to say goodbye, and I don't want to say goodbye!

No! I'm going to do it tonight! I have to, the longer I wait the more upset I'll be! I need to just go and do it! The three of us all walk upstairs and down the hall. At the end of the hall is the door, the door that will lead us to the future. Although I know the key fits in there, I never turned it, never opened the door. Jack and the ruffian both watch as I put the key into the lock and turn it. The door opens with a click and I open the door expecting to walk straight into the past. But instead, I'm greeted by a narrow set of wooden stairs. Jack and the delinquent both peak past me curiously "Yea, have fun Thomas, I sure as hell ain't goin down there!" she tells me.

Thanks for the support my friends! I sigh and began heading down the stairs. They creak under my weight and I wonder if they might break. When I reach the bottom of the stairs I'm face to face with another door! Who knows what's behind that door? I take a deep breath, and rest my hand on the door, opening it just a crack. Once I'm sure it's alright to open, I open it all the way and step into the door. I recognize this place, this is my bedroom! I look around, everything is exactly as I left it! I begin looking through my things, I could get all my stuff and bring it back to the future! Why didn't I think of that before? I open the wardrobe, all of my things are still here!

Suddenly a light snaps on and I spin around. Nellie is standing in her nightgown, holding a candelabra as though she's going to attack me "What are you doing in my house?" she asks. I hold up my hands "Nellie, Nellie look it's me! Thomas!" I tell her. She shakes her head "Don't lie! He died over a month ago on that" her voice trembles slightly "On that stupid ship!". I approach her slowly "Nellie, please" I beg her "I am Thomas, I, I came back from the future to, to say goodbye" I tell her. She lowers the weapon, and eventually drops it "Thomas? Thomas you went to the future again?" she asks. She remember the second time around! The one with the delinquent! Oh what a blessing! I close the gap between us and she falls into my arms, sobbing "Oh Thomas, don't leave again!" she tells me.

I hush her "Listen to me Nellie, a day hasn't gone by where I haven't thought of you. I love you more than anything else in the world. But I can't stay here, I'm supposed to be dead" I tell her. She shakes her head "No darling! Tommie you're alive!", how can I put this to her in a way she'll understand "I'm not alive Helen, not here. I'm alive in a different place and a different time, but not here" I tell her. She looks up at me "Tommie, how did you get here from the future? Did you swim again?" she asks. I shake my head "No, I live in a house with a door that leads me back and forth. But I'm only here to see you, to say goodbye". She looks more upset "Goodbye? You said goodbye before!" she tells me.

"Yes, I did. But it wasn't a permanent one. It was a 'I'll see you in a week or so' goodbye. Now we both know better, this will be the last time you ever see me" I tell her. She breaks down crying again and I lead her to our bed, sitting down beside her and cradling her. I try to be brave for her, but my heart breaks knowing this really will be the very last time. I kiss her "Nellie, where's Elba?" I ask. She swallows "Asleep" she tells me through her tears. I hold her hands "I want to see her before I go" I tell her. She nods "Go into her room and wake her then. She's been missing you, so I'm sure she won't mind" she finally tells me. I kiss her again before standing and leaving our room.

Everything in the house is exactly as it should be, and it almost feels like a dream! When I reach Elba's bedroom door I push it open and peak inside. The little girl is asleep in her bed and I quietly approach her, sitting on the side of her bed and reaching out, running my fingers through her hair "Elba, Elba wake up" I say quietly. She stirs before blinking open her eyes and looking up at me. It takes her a moment to register who I am, but when she recognizes me she jumps into my arms "Daddy!". I hold her tightly "Oh Daddy! You're finally home!" she says happily. I try not to cry as I pull away from her embrace "Well Elba, you see, Daddy is just visiting. I can't, stay" I tell her. She looks confused "Why not Daddy?" she asks.

How can I put this into a way that she can understand? It's apparent that Nellie hasn't told her what happened to me, so I suppose I'll have to explain it "I'm, I'm an angel" I tell her. She turns on a light and looks at me funny "Daddy, I don't think you're an angel, you don't have a halo or wings" she says. I laugh slightly, she's such a smart little girl "I have them, you just can't see them when I'm on earth" I tell her. "Daddy why are you an angel?" she asks, I swallow "Um, well, an evil iceberg sank my big ship" I tell her. She puts on a pouty face "That meanie iceberg! Why did it sink your ship?" she asks. She's so full of questions!

"I guess the iceberg didn't like me" I reply, she kisses my cheek "I love you Daddy!" she replies. She hops off her bed and walks over to her little desk, picking up a pile of papers and carrying them over to me "Look Daddy! I drew you some pictures!" she shows me. The first picture is very amusing "That's Mr. Meanie Head" she tells me, pointing to a picture that is supposed to represent Mr. Ismay. She shows me another one "And that's a picture of you meeting the big green lady in America!".

She shows me another "And look! I drew this one for Gabby! It's a Breadfish!" she says proudly. I take it from her and carefully put it in my pocket "I'll be sure to give it to her" I tell her. She goes through her drawings "I want you to take this one too!" she tells me, handing me the drawing. She points "That's you, me, and Mommy all on your big ship!" she takes it back from me "Hold on, I want to add something!" she tells me, running over to her desk and picking up a pink crayon. She draws something, then picks up a black crayon and writes something. She gives it back to me, she drew a heart with a bunch of scribbles on it "I signed it Daddy!" she announces proudly. I smile "It's very nice" I tell her "Thank you. Now, I think you should go back to sleep now" I tell her.

Her face changes and she shakes her head "No! You'll go away again!". I pick her up and sit her on my lap, she wraps her arms around my neck "Elba, I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to listen very carefully to me" I say. She nods and I continue "Your mommy loves me very much, and she's very hurt right now" she cuts me off "But Daddy, she doesn't look hurt!" she tells me. I run a hand through her hair "Her heart hurts sweetheart, you can't see it on the outside" I explain. She allows me to go on "I can't stay here with you and your mommy, I have to go back to heaven. So I can't fix her heart. But you can, but you have to know something very important in order to do it".

"What Daddy?" she asks, she seems to believe I'm giving her some kind of special mission or something. I smile slightly at this, it'll make it easier "You have to know, that I haven't left you on purpose. I didn't leave you because I didn't love you, I love you and your Mommy very much. But I'm not allowed to stay for reasons beyond my control. Do you understand that?" I ask her. She nods and hugs me tighter "Mommy thinks you don't love her?" she asks me, I wrap my arms around her and stare at her bedroom wall "I don't know" I admit.

I believe Helen is hurt because she begged me not to go on the ship, but I went anyway. I wish she only remembered the first time, the time when neither of us knew what would happen. When we thought I'd come home in a matter of weeks. I hug my daughter tighter as I feel tears trickle down my cheeks "Daddy don't cry! I'll take care of Mommy!" she assures me. I smile at her "I know you will, I'm just going to miss you" I tell her. She kisses me "I'll miss you too Daddy!" she says.

I tuck her back into bed and kiss her goodnight. She wraps her arms around my neck one more time "Will you at least stay til I'm asleep?" she asks. I nod and she grabs my hand, to make sure I don't leave. I wait for several minutes, when I'm positive she's asleep I kiss her hand before going over to the desk and picking up a blank sheet of paper. Even though it's hard to see what I'm doing in the dark, I decide not to turn on the light so that Elba can sleep. I begin drawing the Titanic, and then decide to have some 'Breadfish' jumping out of the water alongside the ship, like dolphins. Finally I draw myself, Elba, and her mother on the bow. For the finishing touch I draw a heart and then sign my name like she did in her drawing.

On the back I write her a message, telling her to go out and do whatever she wanted in life, no matter what anybody else said. I tell her that life is too short not to. On the bottom I remind her to help her mommy and be a good girl, and I tell her that perhaps we'll meet each other again. Finally, I write that I love her, and I'll think about her always. I sign my name and then take the piece of paper, folding it carefully and tucking it under her arm. This is it, the very last time. I kiss her and choke out goodbye before turning and leaving the room, heading back to my bedroom.

Helen is sitting in our bed, staring at her hands. She looks up when I sit next to her "Thomas, would you be angry if I..." she trails off, then continues "If I married again?". I knew she would marry again, I just didn't expect her to ask my consent. I shake my head "Of course not, I want you to be happy. If marrying another man will make you happy, then I want you to do it" I tell her. She leans onto my shoulder and closes her eyes, I think she's exhausted "Nellie, I think I should go now" I tell her. She looks up at me, tears running down her pretty face "Thomas, I don't know how I'm going to live without you. These past few weeks have been so hard!" she tells me.

I wrap my arms around her "You'll be just fine Nellie, you're strong" I tell her. She sobs "But Thomas!" I hush her "Nellie, you're going to live a long, happy life. And you're going to watch Elizabeth grow up, and you're going to marry again and have the big family we never got to have. And you'll do all the things we never even had time to dream of". She kisses me and I kiss her back before standing "Will you help me get some of my things? I'd like to bring them into the future with me" I tell her. She nods, pulling a suitcase out from under our bed and opening it.

Together we go through my things, I get all of my clothing, and a few of my favorite books. There is only so much room in my suitcase for things. I stand by the door I came in, ready to go back through and go back to the future. We stand and look at each other quietly before I say "Nellie, I love you". Her eyes grow soft and she approaches me, reaching to her left hand she carefully pulls off her wedding band. Wordlessly she takes my free hand, placing the ring in it and closing it. "Goodbye Thomas" she whispers simply. I swallow back tears as I turn to leave, but I can't do it! I turn back to her and take her into my arms one more time, kissing her passionately. We both smile at each other before I pick up my suitcase and leave her wordlessly. All the way up the stairs my heart breaks and I want to turn around and run back to her.

By the time I reach the top of the stairs and open the door to the future, I'm sobbing. The delinquent and Jack are there to support me, but it's no use. I'll never see my wife and child again! I push them aside and head to my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I just want to be alone for the rest of the night. As I lie in my bed I can hear Jack and the ruffian talking. She sounds upset, and I can hear the door as they turn the key and lock it. Their retreating footsteps are the last thing I hear of them before the house grows quiet. I hold Nellie's ring in my hand, the ultimate symbol of our love and devotion to each other, and she gave it back to me! I remember though, the delinquent telling me that she would wear my engagement ring for the rest of her life. Perhaps her giving me this ring was so I'd remember her, and the vows she made to love me.

Things will only get better from here, I'm sure of it! I'm going to start all over again! A completely fresh start! I take Nellie's ring and link it to the chain on my pocket watch, so that it will be with me always. Everything will be alright now, tonight has been the worst night of my life. But I'm sure things will only get better from here!

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**This chapter and the next chapter are SERIOSO with a few jokes and stuff thrown in. The next chapter is actually finished, I'll probably post it tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. After that, there will probably only be 1 or 2 more chapters. Then it'll all be over! NOOOOooooooo!**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting me through all of this. They say sequels are never as good as the original, but what do you all think? Do you like this one, or the original better. Or do you like both? And why?  
**

**Today in the review shop, we have Titanic the Board Game! You thought T is for Titanic was bad? Well you clearly haven't played this game yet! Here's how you play, you and your friends are third class passengers on Titanic. You have to race up the ship, and get all your stuff before going to the lifeboat. You also have to avoid getting sent back down to steerage. I must also mention, you're racing for the LAST SPOT on the lifeboat. So if you win, you survive, and all your friends and family playing the game DIE! Doesn't that sound fun? So if you want one of those, REVIEW! And yes, I swear on my life this is real! You can buy them on ebay!  
**

**As always, thanks everybody!  
**


	18. Chapter 18

Nine months later, my thoughts that things would be better have come true. Not too long ago I finished my training at Harland and Wolff. I could not be happier with the way things are going there, and I'm in the process of designing a ship that will put the largest ships in the world to shame! Jack seems to be very happy with his new job as well, he works for the Titanic Museum here in Belfast and loves telling everybody all about his thoughts on my ship. Unfortunately Jack was forced to go to Liverpool about 2 days ago in order to be interviewed on how he thought the ship went down, so it could be put on record. I was interviewed a few months ago, it was a terribly painful experience.

So Jack went away, and left me to care for his heavily pregnant wife. For the most part, I haven't minded, she's not herself by any means. She sits quietly, yes quietly, on the couch watching television with Killian lying across her lap obediently. She is much easier to look after than Nellie was when she was pregnant with Elba. No cravings, no sickness, she doesn't even seem to be emotionally changed at all. The only thing about her that's different is that she's much quieter than the talkative delinquent I usually know.

Tonight she went to bed with a simple 'Goodnight Tommie' and disappeared into her bedroom. I wasn't tired, so I sat myself here in the living room with a glass of wine to watch Cupcake Wars on the food network. I've been listening to the thunderstorm outside more than I have been listening to the show though, it is beginning to lull me to sleep and I welcome it!

Suddenly the peace is broken by my little ruffian screaming in the other room. I don't even remember how I got there but suddenly I'm standing in the doorway of her bedroom "What happened?" I ask her. She looks up at me, her eyes frantic "Oh my God Thomas! My water broke!" she tells me, choking up. She looks scared, I'm not sure why! We knew to expect the baby at any time! But why did it have to be now? I practically fly to her side, trying to remember what it was like when Nellie went into labor. Of course, times have changed, I need to get her to the hospital. But how?

I don't have a drivers license yet, and the hospital is on the other side of Belfast! As I try to think of something she looks over at me "Call the ambulance you idiot!" she orders me. Yes of course! I quickly pick up the phone, but to my horror the line is dead. The storms must have taken out the phone lines! My poor ruffian begins to cry and I take her hand, squeezing it "Take some deep breaths, it'll be alright" I tell her gently. She doesn't seem to be listening, I don't think she expected the pain to be as bad as it is. I run a hand through her hair before a thought occurs to me, Rocky! I kiss her forehead, anything to sooth her I'll do, I just don't want her to cry anymore "I'll be right back, I'm going to the hospital. Just take some deep breath, and uh" I look around and spot her old stuffed bunny sitting on her dresser, I hand it to her "Hug this until I get back" I tell her.

She lets out another cry, telling me not to go as I leave the room and practically fly out the back door of the house to the shed where the old pony is being kept. I can only hope he's strong enough to carry me at a gallop to the hospital. His ears prick as I turn on the barn lights. I grab his bridle off the hook and put it on his head as quick as I can. He tries to throw his head up out of my reach, unhappy to be bothered at such a late hour in the pouring rain. "Rocky! You must do this! Your owner's life depends on it! You need to run faster than you ever have" I tell him as I quickly throw on his saddle and lead him outside. The rain beats down hard and a bolt of lightning flashes across the sky. I stroke his neck and tie him before running into the house.

The girl is panting and I run my hand through her hair "We're going now" I tell her gently. If I thought Rocky could hold the two of us I would take her, but he can't. Besides, I can't just take her out in the rain in only her pajamas, she'll get sick! She tells me she's frightened and I hush her "It'll be alright, you have to trust me, and Rocky" I tell her. She sniffles "Rocky?" she asks, I pull the blanket around her tighter to make her comfortable. I hush her "Don't talk anymore" I tell her softly. She whimpers "What if I have the baby while you're not here? Please don't leave!" she tells me. I swallow "You'll be alright, I promise" I assure her. I can only hope that I'm right about this, for once let me be right in a crisis! I give her a final reassuring kiss on the top of the head before returning to the pony outside.

Rocky shifts uneasily as I hoist myself into the saddle. At first I'm not sure he will handle my weight and height, but with a quick kick he's off into a trot down the road. Please get me there safely Rocky, godspeed you little pony! When we're on the road I urge him on, faster and faster. He breaks into a canter, and then into a gallop. The devoted little pony moves faster and faster, and we soon are entering the heart of Belfast. I look around, but the rain and darkness makes it difficult to see anything, let alone road signs that show which way the hospital is. I used to know Belfast like the back of my hand, but now? I'm still learning!

Finally I recognize where we are, we're just outside Harland and Wolff! I urge the little pony onward, now I know where we're going! He thunders down the pavement, and I continue to urge him on faster and faster still. I worry about him slipping on the road, re-injuring his already damaged legs. The delinquent would never forgive me if I let something like that happen to her precious little pony! I slow him down ever so slightly, we are making alright time, the hospital is only 10 minutes away from the shipyard by car. I remember from when the delinquent dragged me along with her to an ultrasound appointment. On the pony, at the rate we're going, we should be there in less than half an hour!

The rain feels as though it's coming down harder! It's soaking into my coat and I worry for the little pony even more. What if he catches a horrible chill from this rain? He's so old, would he be able to recover? We cross the bridge and I make a left, heading onto the highway. Luckily at this hour and in this weather there isn't much traffic, which will make it easier to navigate.

We're almost there! Rocky is huffing and puffing, I can hear his wheezy breathing over the pouring rain. Just hold on little pony, we're almost there! With a final burst of speed we gallop into the parking lot of the hospital, I pull the chestnut pony to a halt and leap off him, running into the hospital emergency room "Ambulance! I need an ambulance!" I say loudly to the nurse at the front desk. She remains civil with me "What's the matter sir?" she asks calmly, how can she be so calm? "My friend! My friend is having a baby! But I couldn't drive her here and our phone lines are dead!" I tell her. She picks up her phone and sighs, their line must be dead too! She stands up "Wait here for a moment sir" she tells me before disappearing.

Finally she returns with two men "These are the ambulance drivers" she tells me. The three of us walk outside to where I left Rocky. As I leave the hospital, I'm relieved to find the rain has eased tremendously. The chestnut pony stands where I left him, trembling and soaked to the skin. I rest my head on his side and stroke his neck "You haven't saved her life just yet Rocky" I tell him. He merely stands, wheezing and puffing. I need to get him home! I mount him "Follow me, I'll lead you back!" I tell them. They both jump into a nearby ambulance and turn it on, I turn Rocky "Come on boy!" I call. He starts off slowly, does he have enough energy to get us home?

He must! I kick him on and he breaks once again into a gallop! We're on our way once again! Please let us not take too long! The ride back to the house feels so much longer than the one going to the hospital, but finally we make it and I point them to the door "She's in the bedroom, the door is unlocked!" I inform them. As they go get my ruffian I bring Rocky back into his stall. His sides are heaving and he's soaked to the skin, I'm going to have to rub him down! But I don't have time for that, I have to go with the delinquent! I untack the pony and run next door, banging on our neighbor's door. Their teenage son opens the door "What do you want Mr. Andrews? Do you know what time it is?" he asks me. I roll my eyes "Richard, I need you to do me a favor". I explain to him my situation and he looks over to where the men are getting the delinquent into the ambulance. I instruct him on how to take care of Rocky and I hand him about 20 euros before running over to the ambulance and hopping in.

The delinquent looks over at me "Oh my God Thomas what took you so long?" she asks me hoarsely. I hush her "Rocky has short legs you know" I tell her, trying to make her smile. I am successful! Within a few minutes we're at the hospital and they roll her through the emergency room "Thomas! You need to tell Jack!" she tells me. I nod to her "I'll tell him!" I assure her, with that she is taken through a set of doors and out of my sight. Now for the hard part, to find a phone that works! I ask around, the phone at the front desk is still dead, but one of the people sitting in the waiting room hands me their cellular telephone "Here, I have a few bars of service here" they tell me. I thank them and walk outside for some privacy, quickly dialing Jack's number. I thank God that he finally got a cell phone, it makes life so much easier!

He picks up with a casual "Hey what's up?", but then becomes incredibly frantic when I tell him the news "NOW? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE BABY'S COMING NOW? I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF MY INTERVIEW IN LIVERPOOL! BLOODY CHRIST!". He goes on further to snap at me and tells me not to leave her side, not one minute, and I promise him if only to calm him slightly. It doesn't seem to be working though, I can hear him shouting at the people he's with that he has to leave right now. Finally he tells me he has to go catch the next plane to Belfast but he'll be home as soon as he can.

Once that's all taken care of, I return to the waiting room and return the cellular telephone. My next problem is, well, the bloody nurse won't let me go to the delinquent's side! She tells me I'll just have to wait until the baby is born. But I just promised Jack! I'm the one who rode through a torrential downpour to bring her here! I should be allowed to see her, she probably wants me there! It's no use arguing with the nurse though, I'll just have to wait. But I can't wait! I wish I had my glass of wine with me here! I begin pacing the floor of the waiting room nervously. I'm overreacting though, it's not like she's the only woman in history to have a baby!

I'm not sure how long I paced, maybe a few minutes, maybe a few hours, but suddenly a nurse comes out with a bright smile on her face "Would you like to see Mrs. Phillips now? She's been asking for you". I nod and follow her and she quickly and quietly leads me down whitewash corridors to where the girl is. When we get to her room she leaves and I stand in the door, almost unsure of what to do. Should I just stroll in? I decide to step into the doorway and test the waters.

The poor girl looks exhausted, weak and fragile like a china doll. Seeing her in this condition frightens me, she's such a strong girl! I thought she'd be alright! She looks up at me and smiles, beckoning me to join her. I pull a chair up to her bedside and sit down, taking her hand "Are you alright?" I ask her tentatively, she nods and I swallow "And the baby?". Before I can answer one of the doctors comes in, carrying a bundle in his arms. He brings it to her and places it in her arms "Congratulations on a healthy baby girl" he tells us before leaving us alone again.

The way she looks at that child, with a smile so bright it could light up the whole Titanic, it warms my heart. Tears begin trickling down her face as she looks at her daughter, and I wonder briefly if she'll be able to tear her eyes away from the little bundle. After a few minutes she insists I take the little girl and I do, sitting back down in the chair by her bedside. She closes her eyes and rests, the ordeal really beginning to take it's toll. She tries to say something to me but I hush her "Just rest now, and when you wake up Jack will be here, and you'll name her won't you?" I ask. She nods weakly before drifting off to sleep.

I look down at the bundle in my arms, a daughter, I suppose this makes her my niece. I begin examining every detail of her face, starting with her eyes. They're big bright eyes, blue like her father's. Even just a newborn I can tell by the way she looks at me, she's going to share her mother's devious spirit. She studies me in an almost calculating sort of way, as though she's deciding whether or not she is going to like me. Her little mouth curves into a smile and she makes a little noise up at me, I'll take that as her way of saying she likes me.

Other things I can pick out by studying her face is that she has her mother's chubby cheeks. The poor delinquent has always told me she was embarrassed about that, but I find it endearing. She has Jack's nose too, although I'd say it's a little young to be able to tell for sure about that. To me all babies have the same looking little nose. After a little while of holding her one of the nurses comes and takes her from me, placing her in a little crib in the hospital room.

The delinquent wakes up not long after this, even though she slept for a while she still looks utterly exhausted and emotionally strained. I take her hand and coo to her as she cries, telling me she wants Jack. I promise her that he's on his way, she nods and I wipe away her tears before running my hand through her hair. I just continue to stroke her this way, and it eventually lulls her to sleep. Finally I hear footsteps by the door and I turn to see Jack standing there in his business suit. He looks as though he's gone through hell and I stand, walking up to him and putting my hand on his shoulder "Congratulations Jack" I tell him.

His face lights up much like his wife's did "You have a daughter" I tell him. Tears begin welling in his eyes and he hugs me briefly "Oh thank God! Thank you!" he tells me, his voice hitching slightly. I chuckle at him softly "Well would you like to see your daughter?" I ask him, he nods like an excited little boy and I lead him over to the crib where the baby is sleeping. He peers down at her and I can just see the excitement and pride on his face, is practically radiates off him in waves! He looks at me and smiles "I never thought I'd get to have a family" he tells me softly. The moment is indeed bittersweet, neither of us are really supposed to be here. We're here because our ruffian loved us so strongly, she wished on a shooting star and made us alive again. We were never supposed to have family again, never.

Jack walks over to his wife's bedside, taking my place in the chair and taking her hand in his "Sweetheart?" he calls gently. She stirs and opens her eyes, looking at him "Jack?" she asks. He nods "Yes it's me, I'm here!" he tells her, leaning over and kissing her gently "How are you feeling?" he asks her. She smiles at him "Kinda like I got hit by a truck" she says. The reunion is broken by a nurse coming in "Ah, Mr. Phillips! How nice of you to join us! Well now that your husband is here Mrs. Phillips, I suppose you'll be wanting to name her?" she asks. My ruffian nods and the nurse tells them she'll have them fill out the birth certificate forms right away.

Gabby smiles and glances over at me before focusing her gaze on Jack "Darling, I know what I want to name her. So, I'll pick the first name, and you can pick the middle name" she tells him. Jack looks ready to protest when she huffs at him "She's already going to share your last name!". At this her husband is defeated and he kisses her hand affectionately "Anything you want sweetheart. So what's her name?" he asks curiously. She glances over at me again before looking back at her husband "Elizabeth" she replies very seriously. My heart stops beating for a moment and I have to sit down, she didn't just say the name I thought she did, did she? Jack asks her why she picked that name, and she looks at me affectionately "Because Thomas' daughter was named Elizabeth, and I know he misses her terribly. I know our daughter can never replace his Elba, but I thought..." she trails off when she sees me become hysterical.

She frowns "Mr. Andrews? I won't name her that if you don't wan..." I cut her off "No! I love you!" I tell her, it's all I can manage to blurt out. Oh she'd name her daughter after my Elba? For me? I've never sobbed so hard in my life, Elizabeth "Can I... Can I call her Elba?" I ask through my tears. The couple both smile and nod at me "Of course, we're naming her after your daughter. You can call her whatever nickname you like" Jack tells me. Gabby calls for me and she lets me rest my head on her lap while she strokes my hair, trying to calm me as I calmed her "You know Tommie, I love you too. That's why I'm naming my daughter after your daughter. Because you've done so much for me, my little girl wouldn't even be here if not for you, and I know you loved Elba and you've missed her ever since you came into the modern day. So, this is my way of saying thank you". I shake my head, I should be thanking her! But she hushes me "Thomas I think you need to go to sleep now" she tells me.

Jack nods "I'll get him home. And I've decided on a middle name. What about Margaret?" he asks. She rolls her eyes "Should have known her name would end up being Titanic related. Alright then, Elizabeth Margaret Phillips. That's a mouthful" she chuckles. The nurse comes back and her name becomes official, Elizabeth. My little Elba all over again. As Jack leads me out of the hospital and into his car I can't help but think of all the things I'm going to do with this little girl that I never got to with my own daughter. I promise, to Nellie and Elba, that I'm going to devote all my attention to this baby. My work won't get in the way this time, it won't get me killed. Yes I promise!

On the ride home Jack tells me about how they tortured him with questions in Liverpool. He smiles and chuckles "You know, I think they were quite upset with me. The only version of Titanic I remember is the apparent 'second time'. They wanted to know what happened without Gabby there, but unlike you I don't know what it was like without her. I must imagine it was incredibly boring" he explains to me. I can't help but laugh myself "It was certainly a, classier voyage without her". There's a quiet moment before he says something I don't expect "Thomas, I have been keeping a secret from you" he tells me suddenly. I raise an eyebrow "What kind of secret?" I ask him.

He takes a deep breath "I have been receiving letters that are addressed to you, every week or so. They look like they've been written by a kindergartener" he explains to me. A kindergartener? What child would be writing to me? "There's something else about the letters that you should probably know" he says after a long moment. We pull into the driveway and he turns off the car, looking at me "I don't get them at the post office, I find them in the house" he pauses "By the portal door". The portal door? Wait, there's only 1 child who would push letters under that door for me. My daughter!

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**Serious stuff OVER! I can't take it anymore! It's all so... SERIOUS! Goodness, maybe it's school affecting my brain or something. Anyway, next chapter will be completely off this, serious stuff.  
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**The wild ride through the storm is actually based on something I did on Saturday. All day there'd been warning of tornadoes and severe storms, but I decided it's be a cool idea to ride Rocky into town and check out all the stuff going on in town (yes, where I live is so rural I can walk my horse on the sidewalk down mainstreet during a festival and the cop drives by without saying anything!). Anyway, I decided it was getting cloudy so I started riding home. Well I was about halfway there when the wind picked up, and I mean like, SUPER wind! Wind that nearly blew me off my horse! And then came the rain! And it rained so unbelievably hard, I was completely soaked to the skin within a minute, and I could hardly see in front of me. So, I decided to gallop Rocky down the street to get home.  
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**I galloped him down the road, turned onto my street, and then actually had to WAIT IN TRAFFIC during this storm because there was traffic going over the bridge next to my house. Finally I got over the bridge though and I took a shortcut through some bushes before finally making it home. When I did I had to spend 40 minutes in the barn picking burdock out of Rocky's mane and tail from the little shortcut we took. In the end though, we were both ok. It's actually kinda funny thinking about it now!  
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**Today in the review store, we have another video for you! I need something incredibly funny after that mess of a chapter! I guarantee to you this is the single greatest parody of the movie Titanic in existence! On youtube, just look up 'French and Saunders Titanic'. You'll find it. I swear, I've never laughed so hard in my life. For example, instead of Leonardo di Caprio, it's Leonardo Di Vinchi. And instead of James Cameron, it's James Macaroon. So yea, for that fact alone you should really go check it out!  
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**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for the continued support and review! They have helped me so much in updating this fic. This might actually be the first sequel I EVER finish! That is amazing! And I couldn't have done it without you! So, THANKS EVERYBODY!  
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	19. Chapter 19

Things have been incredibly peaceful since the delinquent came home roughly 2 1/2 months ago. She mostly stays up in her room with the baby, while Jack and I alternate who stays home. He stays home more days of the week than I do though. On the days that I do stay with her, I actually let her be for the most part. I take care of her pony, and Killian and Thomas, and even Ramin. After I've taken care of them, I sit down at my desk and begin to write.

Jack showed me the letters from my daughter. It seems she has found out where the staircase was. However, she couldn't actually step through into the future because the door was locked! I practically begged Jack for the key, but he refuses to give it to me. He claims that it would be bad for my health if I went back in time again. So instead, I've resorted to writing back to her. Her handwriting is nothing but scribbles, so my first letter was a note telling her to have someone write the letters for her.

It was not long after I pushed this under the door, that another letter came. This one was in Nellie's neat handwriting, and she promised me that she and Elba would write to me once a week for as long as possible. Thus, we settled on Tuesdays, and so every week I stay home on Tuesday. At exactly 2 every afternoon, I take my letter and slip it under the door, not even a second later another letter is slipped back in return.

Today is actually Friday though. Jack had some sort of meeting he needed to attend today, so I had to stay home in his stead. It's quite alright with me though, it lets me get a head start on my answer to Nellie and Elba! As I write I can hear the ruffian down the hallway singing in a low voice to her daughter. It helps me to relax and think of something to write. In her last letter, Nellie told me that Elba had gotten stung by a bee in the garden, but she'd remembered what I told her on treating bee stings and managed to heal our girl all by herself. She seemed so proud of herself, and I am proud of her too! I knew she'd get along alright without me!

I write and tell her about her favorite delinquent, about how life is in the future. I tell her about how the ruffian complains that being a mother is hard. I'm sure that will at least make Nellie laugh! When I get about halfway down the paper, I decide to take a break. Suddenly I hear a cry from down the hall and I decide to go and see what the matter is. The ruffian's bedroom door is partially open, but I knock just in case. I'm still a gentleman after all!

She calls for me to come in and I push the door open. She's walking back in forth, cooing to the baby as it cries "Elba you have nothing to fuss over! Please stop crying!" she tells the child. The little girl doesn't heed to her mother's voice, just continues wailing. The delinquent looks at me "Thomas! Why won't she shut up! I sang to her and put her down in her crib so I could try to sleep for 2 minutes and she just started wailing for no reason!" she says, looking annoyed. I can't help but smile "Well she is your daughter" I say, leaning against the door frame. She doesn't seem amused so I approach her "Here, I'll take her for a little while, you take a nap". She hands over the child and thanks me before walking over and flopping onto her bed, burying her head in the pillow.

Gently, I take little Elba downstairs and sit on the couch with her "Ah Elba, you don't want your mummy to go insane do you?" I ask her. She stops crying and blinks up at me. Well that was easy enough! Maybe the delinquent was annoying her daughter as much as she used to annoy me! I turn on the television, trying to find the Cupcake Wars. When I find the right channel I turn up the volume and position little Elba so she can see the screen "Alright, today we're going to learn a very important lesson. It's called, quality television" I tell her. She stares at the screen with wide eyes, a smile coming across her face. Yes, while this little girl may not replace my own, she comes close enough!

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"Uncle Tommie, are you finished writing to Elby yet?" Elizabeth asks me. I smile at the little three year old as she tries to look up on my desk where I'm writing. I sign off the bottom of my letter to my own daughter, slipping it into an envelope "Yes I'm done. Do you have anything you wish to send her?" I ask. She nods and hands me a drawing "I drew a picture of Rocky, Macaroni, Titan, and Joey!" she says proudly. I slip the drawing into the envelope before sealing it and standing, she reaches up for it "Lemme do it!" she says. I hand her the envelope and she excitedly runs out into the hallway.

We go to the door and she gets down on the floor, trying to look underneath the door. After a moment she gives up and pushes the envelope through the crack under the door. She looks up at me "I did it!" she says proudly. I pick her up off the floor and hold her on my hip "Oh yes you did, you're getting to be a big girl aren't you?" I ask her. She nods "Uncle Tommie, when you gonna teach me how to ride the big pony?" she asks. I sigh, she's been asking this practically since the day she could talk "Soon" I tell her. She puts on a pouty face "Aw but Uncle Tommie, you always say that!" she tells me. I know this!

I pretend to think it over for a minute, but of course after she gives me the puppy dog eyes I already knew what I was going to answer "I'll tell you what, since you helped me send the letter to your cousin Elby, I'll take you to ride the pony right now" I tell her. She smiles brightly "Really?" she asks excitedly, I put her down "Really" I answer. She grabs my hand and begins pulling me down the stairs "Come on then Uncle Tommie!" she says "Let's go ride the pony!".

When we reach the newly expanded shed, which at this point is now a small barn, three heads poke out. The first one is a big black hunter that Jack named Titan, after of course, Titanic. Titan is my horse though, and he certainly is a fine thing to look at! The next horse is Macaroni, which is Jack's horse. He doesn't ride the palomino gelding much though, he's been afraid ever since he fell off his first time riding and broke his arm. The next horse is a small bay thoroughbred, which the delinquent bought after she decided Rocky was getting too old for her to ride him like she used to. She named him Joey after the horse in her favorite film, War Horse. And of course the last horse is Rocky, who is still as gentle and reliable as he ever was.

Elba goes to his stall door and reaches up, trying to touch his nose "Rocky!" she says happily. I go over and grab a brush, handing it to her before picking her up "We have to brush the pony first before we ride him" I tell her. Honestly, I'm just stalling her, I don't know if I want her to ride or not. I carry her into Rocky's stall and hold her up so she can reach the pony's back. After a good 20 minutes of brushing, his coat is shining and I can't possibly deny her anymore "Ride now?" she asks. I put her down and have her stand outside the stall "Yes of course, you'll ride now" I tell her.

I quickly tack the pony up, before going over to Titan's stall. His coat is already immaculate, so I just run the brush over his coat once before tacking him up as well. Now for the final touch! The delinquent actually did something correct, she bought her daughter a helmet! I suppose she knew this day was coming, I believe Elba has asked her to ride the pony as many times as she has asked me. Of course, I was the first one to cave! I strap the helmet onto her head "Alright, now we aren't going to do too much today!" I tell her. She nods and I lead Rocky and Titan out of the stables.

Picking her up, I hoist her up into Rocky's saddle and shorten the stirrups so that her short legs fit in the irons. This requires me to punch new holes into the leather straps, because even on the smallest hole the stirrups are nearly 2 times too long! When she's settled into the saddle, I hand her the reins and show her how to hold them. I suppose it doesn't matter either way how she holds them now, she won't have any control over the pony! I pat Rocky's neck before attaching a lead rope to his bridle and mounting Titan. "We're just going to go on a short ride for your first time, alright?" I ask? She nods and holds up her reins before I touch Titan's sides and we head off towards the countryside.

3 hours later we finally get back to the barn as it's growing dark. Elba looks sad "Aw Uncle Tommie, we done so soon?" she asks. I laugh "We were out all afternoon!" I tell her. She asks if we can go again tomorrow as I help her down off the pony and I pat her head "We'll see!" I tell her. I think she and I both know the answer is yes, but I'd like to perhaps make it seem like maybe I could say no, at least to myself.

* * *

It's a typical afternoon as I canter Titan across the fields near our home. There's an old chestnut pony galloping just to my left, trying to keep up with the hunter's long legs. Finally we reach our secret place, Belmont Park. While it isn't so secret to most people, it's secret to Elba and I. It just ended up being the place we liked to ride to the most. When we go there we sometimes have a picnic, or have a gallop across the wide wildflower meadows. She has become quite the expert rider under my instruction, and I couldn't be more proud!

As we stop the horses to rest, she looks up at me "Uncle Tommie, have you noticed Mummy and Daddy are acting funny?" she asks. I smile "Funny? How do you think they're acting funny?" I ask. She sits back in her saddle "Well Daddy kisses her a lot now, and Mummy looks fatter" she says innocently. I laugh "You think you're mummy's getting fat?" I ask her. She nods "Oh yes! Haven't you noticed Uncle Tommie? You can't miss it? She's got a big belly! Like she's been eating too many sweets!" she says". Oh how this child makes my life sometimes! I pretend to think "Well, I suppose maybe she looks a little bigger. I don't think she's been eating any sweets though" I say. I know the real reason she has been gaining weight, but she wanted to surprise her daughter with the news.

I just can't keep a secret from her though "Elba, I have a question for you now" I tell her. She looks excited "Oh? What kind of question Uncle Tommie?" she asks. I take a deep breath, as though this question means life of death "Where do you think babies come from Elba?" I ask her. She smiles and laughs as though I asked her some silly question "Oh Uncle Tommie! Everybody knows that Mummies and Daddies buy them off ebay and the stork delivers it from the baby store!" she answers. I can't help but laugh "Now who told you that?" I ask her, she replies simply "Jimmy did!".

Oh Jimmy, that boy is incredibly bad! If I were his father his rear end would be terribly sore! He is always teasing the other children in his class, and telling lies. Of course, I know this from what Elba tells me when we are together. I raise an eyebrow "And you believe him?" I ask, she suddenly looks less sure "Well, I mean, where else could they come from?" she asks. Suddenly her eyes light up "I bet you know! Because you had Elby!" she says "Tell me where they really come from Uncle Tommie! I promise I won't tell mummy!" she says.

No! She can't just do this to me! She knows I never lie to her! What on earth do I tell her though? I find myself blushing and Elba looks at me funny "What's the matter Uncle Tommie? Do they do something bad?" she asks. I shake my head "No! No, it's not that it's just. Um, it's a little complicated to explain" I tell her. She prods me "I'll understand! I'm smart!". This is it, I'll put my foot down and say no, I'm not going to tell her! "Um, well you see Elba, I um, I can't tell you" I tell her "Because it's a secret that your Daddy is going to tell you all about. But I'll tell you this, in order to get a baby, a man and a woman need to uh, play together" I say. Her eyes grow wide "But Uncle Tommie! I play with Jimmy all the time!" she says. Oh! This has just come to my advantage. I make a dramatic face "Oh! How improper! I hope you haven't gotten the baby seed in your tummy from playing with him!".

She suddenly looks frightened "Uncle Tommie what if I did get it? I don't want a baby!" she says. I dismount my horse and begin to pace on the ground "It might not be too late Elba!" I say, trying to remain serious "You might not have the baby seed in your belly! Here! Let me check!" I say. She eagerly gets off her horse and I take her a safe distance away from the horses "Ok how do you check?" she asks. It is incredibly hard to remain serious "Well that's very simple. All I have to do is do... THIS!" I immediately begin tickling her and she shrieks with laughter "Uncle Tommie stop that tickles!" she says. She begins tickling me back, which causes me to fall over as I'm incredibly ticklish.

We take a moment to lie in the grass and breath before she rolls over onto her stomach and lifts her head "So? Do I have the baby seed?" she asks. I shake my head, still trying to catch my breath "No! No you haven't got it!" I tell her. She sighs in relief "How do I stop myself from getting it?" she asks. I sit up in the grass "Don't play with Jimmy or any other boys of course! If you play with them, they'll give you the baby seed and we wouldn't want that would we?" I ask. She shakes her head "Uncle Tommie, if playing with boys can give me the baby seed, how come you haven't gave it to me?" she asks. Oh, that just made things a little akward "Only boys that are in school can give you the baby seed! That includes college!" I tell her. That ought to do it!

Standing, we both remount our horses "Now come on, your daddy probably has dinner almost ready" I say. She groans "Aw! Why isn't Mummy making dinner? Daddy only knows how to make burnt pancakes!" she says. I laugh, it was true. Both the delinquent and Jack were terrible cooks, but at least the ruffian knew how to make more things decently than Jack! She tried, and usually came out with a good result! Jack on the other hand, has not mastered how to make anything, not even macaroni and cheese out of the box!

Once we arrive home we take care of the horses before heading inside. She runs and jumps onto the couch next to her father, who has recently discovered the world of video games. He's playing some terrible game, called 'Skyrim'. I've never played it, but after watching Jack play it I know the game is terribly violent. Still, he hands his daughter the controller and she begins playing the game.

After a little while of playing she walks her character up to a random villager, who tells her she needs to leave. "NO!" she continues to yell, but the villagers keeps telling her to leave. She furrows her brow before simply stating "Sword him!". She goes through her weapons, selecting an ax, and then proceeds to kill the villager. She smiles brightly and laughs "We did it!" she says happily. Suddenly some guards come and begin brutally attacking her character. Her face quickly falls and her eyes grow wide as she watches the massacre "Oh..." she says. The guards kill her character and she looks like she might even cry, she looks at Jack "AW!" she says. A screen comes up saying that she died and she stares at it, before looking down sadly "People don't like to be sword".

Jack ruffles her hair "Ah, that game is a little too grown up for you. Here, I have the perfect game for you to play!" he says. He stands and walks over to the gaming system, switching out 'Skyrim' and putting in 'Halo' before resuming his place on the couch. Before the game can even load though I change the channel on the television to the Cupcake Wars. Jack and Elba both stand up at the same time with angry expressions "HEY!" they both say at the same time. I roll my eyes and sit down in the recliner "Jack, I'm not allowing you to turn her into a psychopath with your violent games" I tell him simply.

She goes over and sits on Jack's lap "Guess what Daddy? Uncle Tommie told me that you would tell me where babies came from!" she says happily. His face pales slightly and he glances at me before looking at Elba again "Oh? Did he?" he asks. She nods "Uh huh. So Daddy, where do they come from?" she asks. Jack leans back on the couch and stares at the ceiling for a moment, as if the answer might be written up there. Elba must have thought this also because she looks up at the ceiling "Daddy, I don't see anything up there!" she finally says after a little while.

He looks back up at her "I'm thinking!" he says. She frowns "Is it really that hard to explain?" she asks. He nods "Yep, it really is. But I promise you, I'll tell you eventually! Alright?" he asks. She smiles "Ok" she answer before he stands up and walks into the kitchen. "AW DAMN IT!" he curses angrily, I hear the shuffling of pans and Jack saying a few more select words before coming out of the kitchen and calmly asking "Who wants Burger King?".

* * *

And now there are 2 children running around the house! Well, I should say there is 1 running and one crawling. The poor ruffian, I know she tries as hard as she can but the two little ones are certainly a hand full! About a year ago she had another baby, whom we named Joseph Bruce Phillips, after our FAVORITE passenger, Mr. Ismay.

Poor Elba is incredibly jealous of Joseph, not even a week after he was born she came to me crying, saying 'Mummy and Daddy don't love me anymore!'. I am constantly reminding her that her parents do love her, it's just that little Joseph needs a little bit more attention. Today I've decided to take her mind off it though, by taking her to the carnival that has come to town.

"Uncle Tommie, how come you named my baby brother Joseph?" she asks me as we walk through a barn with chickens and rabbits in it. "He's named after the person who owned Titanic" I tell her. She looks up at him "But I thought you said you didn't like him!" she says, I laugh "Well, sometimes he could be a little bit braggy, and he got on my nerves over many things. But he wasn't a bad man. He was just, misunderstood" I say. She blinks "What's that mean?" she asks. We find a bench near the barn and I sit down, she hops up next to me "Well, it means that people don't really know how you feel about things, they take it the wrong way".

She tells me she's still confused and I sigh "It's hard to explain Elba" I finally say. She tips her head to the side "Like the baby thing?" she asks. I smile and chuckle "Yes, like the baby thing" I reply. We stand and she tugs on my arm "Uncle Tommie, can I ride on your shoulders?" she asks. I sigh "You're getting a little bit heavy for that you know!" I tell her. She doesn't seem to care so I crouch down in front of the bench "Alright, but if I throw out my back just remember we won't be able to go riding for a long time!" I tell her.

Though she's certainly bigger, she really isn't all that heavy and I carry her easily around on my shoulders. We walk all around and see different animals and exhibits, I make sure to keep the rides and games for last. And of course the food, because the last thing I want is for her to drip ice cream all over the top of my head! As I finally resort to walking through the midway, she points to a game "Uncle Tommie! Look at that big bear! It's so Fluffy!" she says. I stop in front of the game and the carny lures us over "Hey, come over and I'll show you how it works!".

I lower myself and have Elba slide off before we both approach the game "Hey Mister, it's really simple. All you have to do, is get this metal loop down this metal spiral without hitting it. If you make it to the bottom, you can have whatever prize you want!" he says. I hand him five euros and he gives me three tries. Elba roots for me as I guide the loop down the twisting spiral. A bell goes off somewhere and causes me to jump slightly, hitting the wire and causing the buzzer to go off. Elba whines "Come on Uncle Tommie! You almost had it!" she says encouragingly. I know I almost had it, I have a reputation for having a steady hand! It's a good thing to have when you're drawing ships and building them! I try it again, this time I reach the bottom and cause the bell to go off, signifying that I won!

The carny smiles "Well, looks like you won. Well sir, what would you like to have?" he asks. Elba points at the biggest, fuzziest bear the man has "That one Uncle Tommie! It's so fluffy and cute!" she says happily. I laugh at her "But Elba, that bear is as big as you are!" I say. She doesn't care, and so I tell the carny I'll have the giant white fluffy bear. Just when I think I've done enough, Elba spots another game "Oh Uncle Thomas look a unicorn! Please win it for me! Please!".

How many games I play, I don't know. I'm sure Elba would have kept going, but she had me play so many games, and win so many prizes, that I actually had to borrow someone's wheelbarrel in order to get them back to my car. I strap Elba into her carseat alongside all her new stuffed animals and I kiss her cheek "Whether you think your parents love you or not, at least remember that your Uncle loves you more than anything". She blinks "Do you love me more than Joseph?" she asks. I know it isn't fair, but I actually do love her a sliver more than Joesph. But only because I love her as if she were my own daughter!

On the drive back home Elba begins dozing off to sleep "Uncle Thomas, can I send Elby one of my prizes?" she asks. I glance into the mirror to look at her "If you think you can fit it under the door, I don't see why not" I tell her. She yawns "I want to, she'd like it. She always writes me nice letters so I want to send her something nice". I smile at this, it was true. As time went on here, time in the past went on as well. My own daughter is nearly 9 years old, and write her own letters to Elba and I. Helen still writes to me of course, even though she has married Henry Harland and is planning on starting her new family with him.

When we reach the house Elba is already asleep so I have to carry her into the house and up to her room. As I tuck her in I think about how my life has been going since I last saw Nellie. I think about how I feel about her marrying another man, and as I kiss my niece goodnight and head out to my car to retrieve all her stuffed animals it dawns upon me for the very first time. I'm happy here! I'm happy in the future, I'm happy with my new life and my new family! Nothing could ruin how happy I am, not even Nellie getting married again! It all turned out the complete opposite of what I expected! And for that, I am grateful.

Finally all of the stuffed animals are in a pile on the couch. Jack can deal with those tomorrow. I trudge up to my room and sit down at my desk to write some letters to Nellie, and to James Cameron and Madeleine, and of course to Elba. I might not get to see her grow up like I would have wanted to, but I'm confident that we'll see each other again someday. After all, I'm going to have to die again sooner or later! Yes, we'll all meet up on my big ship in the sky, everyone from the past and from the future too! I wouldn't want to have it any other way.

* * *

**Alright guys, I actually thought this was going to drag out another chapter but I guess not. This is THE END! Well what did you think of it? How did you feel about this adventure? I asked this a few chapters back, but nobody answered. So I'll ask it again here. Which adventure did you like better and why? **

**Reviewers, I cannot thank you enough for your continued support! It has been an honor to receive such high praise, and a privilege to be critiqued so that my writing abilities would improve. It's been a fun couple months writing Titanic fanfiction, and I'm very sure that this has been my absolute favorite fandom to write in! And it was all because of the reviewers and the support I got on these fics! So, THANK YOU! **

**Now that I'm finished writing in the Titanic fandom, I've got an extra special treat for your VERY LAST REVIEW! Today in the review shop, I'm giving away the actual people! Yep, that's right. I'm sorry Thomas, Jack, Officers, you're all up for grabs now! But the people can only have you if they review!  
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**Now wait a minute here! I thought we were friends!  
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**_Yea Gabby! NO FAIR! I married you!__  
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**Guys, I'm sure they'll hand you back over when they realize how needy you are! I mean, you need to be fed every day, and groomed, and you need therapy sessions twice a week! It's hard to keep you!  
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**OK Reviewers, this is it, the big goodbye. My last words to you are, follow me over to War Horse! I'll be going there next, but I'm going to try and take a nice long break before I actually post anything! I've posted a one-shot there already to hold me over! So now I'm taking my official writing break to focus on school work. Of course, that won't stop me from reading other people's writing... but at least I won't be at risk for getting carpal tunnel in that month or so of not typing! ;)  
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**GOODBYE MY FELLOW REVIEWERS! AND THANK YOU!  
**


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